


Sacrifices For Peace

by alex_halcyon



Series: Sacrifices Universe [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Character Death, Drama & Romance, F/M, Gen, Time Travel, non-massacre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2019-09-29 18:42:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 28
Words: 135,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17208845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alex_halcyon/pseuds/alex_halcyon
Summary: It had begun with Asura and Indra, and ended with Naruto and Sasuke. The war was done, Kaguya was sealed, and everyone thought it was over.They were wrong.It should never have come this far, and the Otsutsuki brothers were going to make sure it never would. With four reincarnates in one place, and their chakra calling to one another, Asura and Indra chose a new path: one that would take the knowledge and bonds of the future into the past...The lives of Sakura Haruno and Itachi Uchiha would never be the same.





	1. Part One: The End of Everything

**Author's Note:**

> cross-posted from my FanFiction account = alex-halcyon ... I AM THE SAME PERSON

**Part One: The End of Everything**

**Chapter One**

They had done it.

The relief that coursed through Itachi's veins as the Sage of Six Paths, the reanimated Hokage, and the recalled shinobi spirits summoned his brother and teammates back from the time-space dimension that Kaguya had abducted them into.

Like his brother, Itachi had used his Susanoo to shield himself and Shisui from the effects of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Together they had waited with the reanimated Hokage, horrified, impatient and frustrated with their own inability to do something, anything, to help defeat the greatest enemy their world had ever known. But when the Sage of Six Paths revealed his own plans and hopes for the success of his son's reincarnations, Itachi had calmed himself.

The Sage of Six Paths had congratulated them on their success. Hashirama Senju had sat beside Madara as he finally died. The spirits the Sage had recalled faded away. Everything seemed to be going perfectly.

But now, something was wrong.

"Are you seeing this, Itachi?" Shisui breathed.

Itachi could only nod.

From the bodies of the reanimated First Hokage and Naruto Uzumaki, masses of identical orange chakra were leaking. Itachi felt his throat catch when he glanced at his little brother and saw that from Sasuke and Madara the same phenomenon was occurring, but the chakra was coloured a deep, dark purple.

"It's theirs, but not theirs," Shisui said with a furrowed brow. Itachi agreed.

Their Sharingan saw it all clearly. Itachi could only conclude the chakra leaking from them had something to do with them being reincarnations of the same person.

"Sasuke? Naruto?" Sakura glanced between them, and her eyes followed the flow of the chakra. "What's going on?" Her voice shook with nerves.

"Naruto!"

Itachi saw the worried Fourth Hokage hurry over to his son.

Naruto looked helplessly around himself, then at his father, and at the Nine-tails. "What's happening?" He asked them. "Kurama?"

The tailed-beasts seemed restless around them, Itachi looked at them curiously. From the glances they gave each other and the look of concentration and concern of the Nine-Tails, the tailed-beasts also seemed to have no knowledge of what was happening.

Itachi looked back at his brother. Sasuke stared at the chakra, between himself and Madara, and Itachi could see the wheels in Sasuke's mind turning. From the narrowing of his eyes, Itachi thought his brother might have had an idea, but before he could call out to Sasuke, both he and Naruto clutched at their chests, gasping for breath. Itachi and Shisui both tensed at the sight, and Sakura rushed over to them, her hands glowing green. She put one hand on both of their chests, but it didn't do anything.

Itachi saw that the chakra had stopped flowing from them. He glanced at Hashirama and Madara; the same thing had happened to them both as well.

The Sage of Six Paths spoke, causing everyone to turn to him.

"Asura, Indra."

Itachi recognised the names from the earlier discussion with the Sage. They were the names of his sons.

Itachi's eyes flickered between the watchful Sage and the chakra. The two distinctly coloured chakra's combined together and formed two almost human-shaped masses, one a vibrant orange and the other a dramatic purple. The power from the masses pulsed in Itachi's bones, and he understood that everyone felt it, the way they sucked in a breath and took an involuntary step back.

"What is this?" Minato breathed, standing beside his son protectively. His eyes were narrowed and watchful of what he saw.

The Sage of Six Paths frowned and gave a small sigh.

"This is not the path you should take," he said, seeming to talk to the chakra. "It is cruel."

The Sage of Six Paths sounded disapproving, and Itachi didn't like what he heard. What did he think would happen? The chakra that had been within Sasuke and Naruto was the spirit of the father of Shinobi's sons, reincarnated in a battle between brothers, of peace and war. None of what was happening felt good to Itachi.

He took a hesitant step forward, wanting to go to Sasuke who still looked like he was in pain. Sakura seemed frustrated her healing didn't seem to have any effect; both Sasuke and Naruto still looked drained and their breath was short and uneven. Itachi suddenly felt the purple masses attention on himself; nothing had changed visibly to the chakra, but there was a feeling inside of him, like eyes peering into his very soul. He paused.

"Super Gramps, what are you talking about?" Naruto's voice held an unusual tremor of anxiety in it.

 _Indra,_  Itachi thought, staring at the purple chakra.  _The first Uchiha._

Sasuke had turned to look at the Sage as well, expecting some kind of response, but the old man had closed his eyes and tilted his head down as if in thought. Itachi narrowed his eyes. It was not thought he saw in the Sage's face, it was something closer to sadness, regret, and resignation. A flinch from Sakura caught his eye, and he saw she was staring at the orange chakra.

"Hey, Super Gramps? You in there?" Naruto asked again, more impatiently.

"Itachi." Shisui spoke quietly. "I don't like this."

Again, Naruto was ignored, and Itachi felt a pit open in his stomach. He needed to get to Sasuke, but the second he went to raise his foot from the ground, the Sage of Six Path opened his eyes, set his mouth with disapproval and slowly, his chakra form began to fade away. His eyes shifted between Itachi and Sakura, and he looked gravely at each of them for a moment.

"I have no time left in this world," he said. "I am sorry."

Itachi felt like he was speaking directly to him, and clenched his jaw. Despite the protests from Naruto, the Sage of Six Paths said nothing more, and the small group stared at his fading form, their concern growing with each second. Kakashi put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. The moment his form faded, if Itachi's Sharingan had not been activated, he may have missed what happened.

The orange ball of chakra, Asura, darted toward and enveloped Sakura Haruno before she had a chance to blink. She gasped as it touched her, blending into her and she staggered backward. Indra came for Itachi. He tried to dodge, but it was impossible. A gasp like Sakura's escaped his lips, and his eyes flashed to the girl, who stared at him in shock and fear. Understanding flowed between them as the realised they were feeling the same thing: immense sorrow, regret, determination, hope, and  _power._

Itachi felt a shift inside him; a pull, a tug of something he'd never felt before.

"Sasuke," Itachi choked out.

"Tachi!" Sasuke cried out, calling his brother by the affectionate childhood nickname he hadn't uttered in years.

He ran over to him, but it was too late. Itachi gave Sasuke what he knew- somehow he just knew - to be his last smile, before he closed his eyes and the world went dark.


	2. Part Two: Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this is a non-mass AU, I just want to let you know that there are, obviously, canon-plot deviations, but I have tried to keep as much as I can as close to canon as possible. That being said, there will be explanations for most things that are different in later chapters.

**Part Two: Arrival**

**Chapter Two**

Under the beating morning sun, the Senju and Uchiha clans were engaged in another of their unending battles. The two rival clans fought to the death. Fierce blows were exchanged, and the groans and screams of the wounded and dying were ringing in the ears of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.

They exchanged blow after blow, but like all their previous fights, part of their hearts remained affected by the other. Their bond of friendship couldn't be entirely forgotten, as much as Madara had tried. Their current battle, although more intense and powerful than any their comrades were engaged in, was little more than a competitive spar. Neither engaged their full strengths against each other, their eyes never betraying a true killing intent.

Across the field of battle, however, a true deathmatch had begun between their younger brothers. Tobirama and Izuna exchanged heated blows, and from the corner of his eye, Madara instinctively understood that his brother was going to die. Without a second glance at Hashirama, he turned to reach Izuna. Hashirama halted his attack long enough to see their brothers engagement, and his eyes widened as he realised the jutsu, the distance, the intent of his brother. Izuna would not be able to avoid it.

But just as Tobirama was about to lunge, he hesitated. Hashirama, Madara and the warriors around them all felt what Tobirama did moments later. Chakra. Massive amounts of it coming their way, enough to make many among them tremble and collapse to their hands and knees. Even Hashirama felt a sense of dread at the enormity of it. It was unlike anything Madara or Hashirama had ever felt before, and yet, there was something about it that was almost familiar to them.

"Izuna!"

Madara shouted his brother's name in warning as Tobirama took advantage of the distraction to attack again. The surprise attack landed, and Tobirama's kunai lodged itself in his side, just as a burst of light blinded all the Shinobi, and both Madara and Hashirama had to shield their eyes from its glare.

Within seconds it faded, growing smaller and weaker until it disappeared completely and all they saw was two strangely dressed figures where the light had been. Madara almost cried out in surprise and alarm, but held himself back, uncertain of what he had seen, while Hashirama stared in open amazement and confusion. Behind the figures, Izuna dropped to his knees, clutching his side, and Madara, disregarding any danger or care, rushed past the two strangers to reach his brother.

The two people, a young man and woman, looked around them in open amazement and desperate confusion.

"What is this?"

The girl breathed the question. Her eyes widened in shock as they landed on Hashirama. He took in her appearance: pink hair, green eyes, young and exhausted by the look of her eyes. She wore black trousers and a black sleeved shirt, her clothes were ripped and dirtied, she looked like she had been in battle. Her companion appeared similar: battle-worn and dirty. But his black underclothes were covered with a green jacket she didn't have. His piercing black eyes and long black hair could have fit in with the Uchiha clan surrounding them.

"Izuna!"

He heard Madara's shout and Hashirama snapped out of his stare. He looked to where Madara sat on his knees, holding his brother up. His heart sank and stomach coiled. If Izuna died… he shuddered to think what Madara might do, how he might react. Hashirama glanced around them. The battlefield had stilled on both sides, everyone was too shocked to move.

"Senju!" His clan snapped to attention. "Fall back." A little dazed, the Senju shinobi stepped back, and with a quick hand gesture from Madara, so did the Uchiha. "Tobirama," Hashirama growled threateningly when he felt his brother's chakra spike. Tobirama shot him a glare, but obeyed, stepping back from Madara and Izuna.

The man beside the girl looked around at all the warriors, seeming to take in everything he saw. But there was still disbelief on his face and eyes widening in recognition when his gaze landed on Hashirama, a look that mirrored the girls.

"The First," he breathed to the girl, who gave a dazed nod.

Hashirama furrowed his brow in confusion why they looked at him like that, and what 'the First' meant.

"But how is this..?"

Behind them, Izuna pulled the kunai from his side, and it clattered on the stone. He groaned in pain and the girl seemed to snap to attention hearing it. She turned and without hesitation ran to the Uchiha.

Madara almost threw a kunai at the approaching woman, but to Hashirama's surprise, he held his weapons back. There was something about this girl…Hashirama couldn't put his finger on what it was, but he was sure that Madara was feeling the same thing. His eyes flickered to the man, who had turned and walked cautiously after his companion.

The girl kneeled at the side of Izuna, and held her hands glowing green over his wound. Izuna flinched away at first but soon relaxed, feeling the warmth of chakra run through him and Hashirama's eyes widened when he realised she was healing him. He saw Madara's face, filled with concern, surprise and then relief, and Hashirama almost managed a smile; it was rare of him to show so much emotion, but not surprising since it involved his brother. Hashirama's eyes were on the stranger again within seconds, as were Madara's whose gaze narrowed dangerously and suspiciously at them both.

Madara felt that something had happened, something very big and very important, he was sure. But what, and who were these people? They were clearly shinobi, he could see it in their stance; the way they had moved, the way they looked around taking in every face, every movement. They carried themselves like warriors. The girls medical jutsu was a clear enough sign of her training, but where had they come from?

She slumped backward, the green glow fading from her hands.

"He'll be all right," she said quietly to Madara, though at meeting his eyes, she seemed to flinch away from him with fear flashing across her face.

Her companion helped her to her feet, looking around them still, observing cautiously.

Hashirama stepped forward. "Madara." He waited for his friend to look at him.

Madara helped the exhausted Izuna to his feet. He put his brother's arm around his neck, and gripped Izuna around his chest, holding his brother up. When Izuna was secured, Madara met his eyes and gave a slow nod.

"Retreat." He gave the command to his clan. Knowing better than to protest against their leader, the Uchiha clan slunk away.

Hashirama did the same, and slowly, their respective clans left the battlefield, leaving only Tobirama, Hashirama, Madara and Izuna with the newcomers.

The pair were tense, looking around them all with expressions of open amazement and confusion mingled with exhaustion.

"Who are you?" Tobirama demanded of them. "How did you come here? What jutsu was that?"

The girl looked to her companion, clearly uncertain how to respond. He closed his eyes for a second to collect himself.

"We do not know," he replied after a moment.

Tobirama scoffed and grew angry at the response. "Lies. A jutsu as powerful as that, some kind of transportation jutsu. Just who are you?" he spat.

The girl flinched away from him and Hashirama felt a surge of protectiveness rush over him.

"Tobi."

His voice was firm and final, and Tobirama glared at him again, disbelief on his face. Although Hashirama understood his brother's actions and intentions, there was something about the girl that made Hashirama want to protect her. Some… sense that he knew her.

"Girl." Madara's voice cut through the tension. "What is your name?"

"S-Sakura," she stuttered.

"Sakura." Izuna gave a weak smile. "Thank you."

The younger Uchiha's eyes darted to Tobirama, narrowing in anger, and Tobirama returned the look.

Sakura visibly swallowed, but her eyes showed determination. "You need to rest," she said to Izuna.

"Sakura," her companion spoke quietly, but the warning in his voice was clear. Hashirama looked at him curiously.

She turned to him with an irritated scowl, before addressing Izuna again. "You need more treatments. Do you have healers who can do this?"

Madara shook his head. The Uchiha lacked in healers, making up for it by being formidable opponents who were more likely to kill than be killed. The girl closed her eyes tiredly and thoughtfully, and her companion took the chance to study each of them. Hashirama understood from his dark expression that if anyone tried something or moved in a way he didn't like, there would be dire consequences. His killing intent was clear, and Hashirama sensed his skills were not to be underestimated.

The girl opened her eyes again and looked around, resting eventually on the injured Izuna.

"I don't know where we are, or what happened, or how it happened," she muttered, shaking her head. "But I am a medic. If you don't have a healer, I will heal you."

"Good. Come."

Madara did not request, he ordered, and Hashirama frowned at his tone.

"No." The word was quiet but strong. "We will go nowhere."

Her companion's gaze narrowed at them, and he stepped protectively in front of her. Hashirama didn't miss the slight annoyance in the frown of the girl at her companion's action and wondered at it.

"Your clans are at war and we will not side with either of you." His gaze lingered on the Uchiha for a moment before he looked at Hashirama. "We are not part of your war."

Hashirama nodded respectfully and looked at Madara. He  _needed_  to try again, to try and stop this useless fighting between them.

"Shall we cross to the other side, my friend?"

He knew Madara remembered that day, those words. He saw in the slight raise of his eyebrow, but he also saw resistance in Madara's dark eyes.

"Brother - " Hashirama cut Tobirama off before he could speak further.

"Madara." Hashirama's voice was low and pleading. "We must put an end to this. We can only do this together."

"Don't listen to him, brother," Izuna spoke venomously. "You can't trust him."

Hashirama held back showing how much that comment affected him. Madara glanced at Izuna, then back at Hashirama.

"Your dreams are the dreams of a fool, Hashirama," Madara replied dryly.

Sakura stepped forward, the shaking of her clenched fists drew their attention.

"You're all fools," she said angrily, surprising them. "War is meaningless death and blood and grief. You fight and die for what? Vengeance, to further the cycle of death?" Her voice was thick with emotion and her words were cutting. "If you want to change the world, then change it yourself. You can't give up because it's hard." Softer, she added, "he would never do that."

Her companion looked at her, his expression softening with sadness.

A second later, her expression became more serious and she looked at them all fiercely. Only Tobirama returned a look equally as fierce, the other three were just surprised.

"You can't keep killing and dying. What's the point of that? You're supposed to change the world." She glanced between Hashirama and Madara. "Not end it."

Her look darkening at the Uchiha, who narrowed his eyes at her.

"You speak of what you do not know," Tobirama said, crossing his arms and looking at her. "What do you know of our war? You are strangers among us."

Sakura whipped her head angrily to him.

"War? What do I know of war?" She sounded furious and hurt. "What do _you_ know of _peace?"_

Her question hung in the air around them all. Peace? None of them knew what that was truly like. They had all spent their lives in battle. That was the dream Hashirama wanted to make a reality.

Tears fell from Sakura's eyes.

"What are you protecting? What are you fighting for?" She whispered. "It means nothing when everyone's dead."

The words resonated with Hashirama and Madara, who glanced at one another. Wasn't that what they wanted to accomplish, what they used to speak of? To stop the death, to find a way to live in peace and protect their families? To stop the dying and killing.

"You can find us by the river," the male said after a moment. "We will leave you to your deliberations."

"Come and find me in some hours for more treatment," Sakura said quietly. "I need to recover my chakra." She glanced at the Senju. "If you have wounded, I will treat them as well. But," she glared at Tobirama, "if you use me as an opportunity to attack, I will not hold back my anger and you will be sorry."

Hashirama nodded gratefully, a little surprised at how dark and frightening her glares were. "Very well."

They watched as the strangers gave them all one last look, their faces unreadable, before quickly disappearing into the distance. Their chakra signatures dulled but did not disappear. The river was close, they would be easily found if needed.

"We have much to discuss," Madara said, the moment the four were left alone again.

Hashirama nodded. He glanced at Izuna, who looked back at him with contempt. A sad smile tugged at his lips, and without turning their backs, the two pair of brothers jumped away from each other, retreating back to their respective clans. Their minds weighed heavily with the words the strange girl had spoken.

_What are you protecting? It means nothing when everyone's dead._

* * *

The moment Itachi and Sakura felt the chakra of the other's distance themselves and disappear, Sakura collapsed to her knees. She held her face in her hands, her eyes held open and wide by panic and fright, staring at the ground through her fingers.

Itachi lowered himself in a crouch, his energy drained, and his hands rubbed at his face as he tried to control the swirling mass of emotion within him.

"Itachi?" Sakura whispered. "How is this possible?"

"I don't know," he murmured. "I don't know."

"The chakra from Naruto…" she trailed off and looked at him. "Is that what made us come here?"

Itachi stood, refusing to allow his fear and confusion to dictate his actions. "I believe so." He remembered it clearly with his Sharingan. The way the chakra of Asura and Indra had covered both he and Sakura. The sense that the world was shifting, the feeling of that incredible power from the chakra.

He was only glad that he managed to deactivate his Sharingan before any of the Uchiha noticed it.

"This is the time before Konoha was built," Itachi said slowly. "The Uchiha and Senju are still at war. We are in the Warring States Era."

"I noticed," Sakura sniffed sarcastically. "We were dropped in the middle of their battle."

Itachi helped her to her feet. "You spoke well." He gave her a weak smile. "I was surprised."

"I almost… Madara is…" she hesitated, not sure what to say. "I was afraid when I saw him. But, he's a bit.. different here, now."

Itachi agreed. He was different, the madness they had witnessed from him in their war hadn't yet taken hold. It was hard to miss the longing in his eyes, even though it was only a quick flash of feeling when Hashirama pleaded for peace between them.

Sakura cleared her throat, and they walked quietly together towards the river.  _The Naka River, perhaps,_  Itachi mused. Were they close to their home of the future and past?

"I don't know what we're doing here, Itachi," Sakura said to him. "But how do we get home?"

He shook his head. "I don't know, Sakura. I don't know."


	3. Part Two: Arrival

**Part Two: Arrival**

**Chapter Three**

Sakura was sleeping. She was curled up underneath a tree after finally succumbing to exhaustion from chakra depletion and the physical and mental strain of what had happened to them. Itachi was almost jealous of her exhaustion; he was very much awake and alert. His mind kept turning over the events they'd been subjected too. It was almost like a dream; something so impossible had happened to them. But seeing the ten-tails revived, meeting the Sage of Six Paths, and knowing his little brother - along with his team - had sealed away a goddess, all those things had permanently altered his view on what was possible.

His question remained  _why._  He had concluded that Sasuke and Naruto had somehow broken the curse of hatred between the reincarnates during their battle, otherwise, he doubted the spirit (or will) of Indra would have acted the way it had. It seemed that having two reincarnates together in the same place meant that the combination of their chakra made it possible for Asura and Indra to act independently again. But what was their reasoning for it? Their choices confused Itachi. The war was over, the cycle of hatred was - most likely - broken, so what had they done? Why had they taken Sakura and himself to the past, where everything was still happening, undoing what had just been accomplished? He didn't want to think about the answer, because he knew he wouldn't like it.

_How do we get home?_

Sakura's question rang in his ears. How indeed. It was possible the medic was avoiding thinking too deeply about the repercussions of their presence in this time. Knowing Sakura, he thought it likely. Coming to terms with the possibilities would be shattering for her as she was so strongly bonded with her team and home. But Itachi was well aware of what it meant, even with his own strong ties to the Leaf, and his mind kept coming back to the look on the Sage of Six Paths face before he had faded away. The lives both he and Sakura had known were now forever altered. That future no longer existed, which meant that perhaps,  _they_  no longer existed.

Itachi stood watching the water flow downstream, letting his mind drift with the current as a weight heavier than he had ever imagined, settled on his chest. In the quiet of the late afternoon, and with a glance at the sleeping form his only companion, Itachi felt tears roll down his cheeks as he silently cried for everything the had suddenly lost.

* * *

Sakura woke when she felt a hand on her arm. She startled awake, sitting up quickly with her hand rushing back to take a kunai from her pouch when she realised it was empty. She settled down when she remembered the person waking her was only Itachi.

"They're coming, Sakura," he said quietly.

She felt them and nodded. The light of day was turning dark and quickly fading into orange as the suns set. She must have slept for some hours and felt guilty that she had done so. Itachi had already turned away from her, and she eyed him with a practiced gaze as she stood. He hadn't slept, opting to keep watch over her instead. She stood beside him and promised herself that she would make sure he took care of himself.

"You need to rest," she said, disapprovingly. "You should've woken me."

He didn't look at her, keeping his eyes focused forwards. They remained distinctly black. She frowned; his Sharingan wasn't activated.

"Why isn't your Sharingan activated? Won't it be useful now?"

He glanced at her for a moment, then back in the direction of the incoming chakra.

"We are not from this time," he replied carefully. "So we do not understand the way this world is currently working. The Uchiha are at war with the Senju, and if anyone had seen it, we would have been forced into standing with the Uchiha before we understood our situation. Even then, I'm a stranger to them, and you're quite aware that the Uchiha are a very close-knit and loyal clan. It wouldn't surprise me if they assumed I stole the eyes and attempted to kill me on the spot."

Sakura felt a little ashamed that she hadn't realised that sooner. It seemed glaringly obvious now that he'd said it. She only nodded her head in understanding, amazed that he had thought quick enough about their situation despite the disorientation they'd both suffered. He was a genius after all.

"In any case, I can't activate my Sharingan nor remove my jacket." She frowned confused, at her look, he explained: "My clan symbol is on my back. We are at a disadvantage here. Be on your guard, Sakura."

She set her mouth in a determined line and nodded. That much was obvious. With or without his Sharingan, Itachi was a dangerous opponent, but as he said, this was a different time. He might have been considered a prodigy in their time, but in this time, the position was held by Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. Sakura was only too aware of how powerful and dangerous the Uchiha really was.

"Itachi, until we figure out what's really going on with us being here, let's make a promise," Sakura said. "We'll always have each other's back."

For a moment, Itachi looked almost amused. "That is a given."

Sakura almost smiled, but she couldn't quite manage it. They both looked away and at the approaching figures. Their chakra was unmasked, giving Sakura and Itachi enough warning that they were coming. Sakura appreciated it, but she still had to force herself not to flinch or glare at her most recent enemy.

As strange as it was that both her and Itachi had been taken from their lives and dumped into this godforsaken era of war, it was made even stranger by the fact that the legends of her home, her village, the entire shinobi world, were real. Not just reanimated, but truly living, and she had met them as they were.  _Are._

The initial shock of their situation, being transported from one victorious battle to the middle of a very different one, had disappeared when she heard the man behind her groan in pain, and her medic-at-war brain had immediately switched on. She had only briefly glanced at Madara kneeling beside him, but it had been enough for her to see he was clearly distraught about the man's injuries. It was also apparent to her, when she got a good look at him, that the injured man looked remarkably like Sasuke. It was all a little overwhelming.

But what she found the strangest was that, though she didn't have much contact with the reanimated First Hokage during the war, when he spoke today it was like she could see Naruto in him. It had caused a tightening in her chest and a strange sense of comfort. Reincarnations indeed.

She wondered what Itachi felt at seeing the Uchiha, and seeing Madara. Was it the same as her? The struggle between fear and loathing and disgust, and the knowledge that he was a different man than what they knew? The look in his eyes, the way he held himself, it was all just a little different to what she had seen. In the war, he had been haughty and cruel, looking down on everyone and everything. Madness seeped through every pore. But this Madara, in their brief encounter, was just a man who was unmistakably human. A warrior yes, fearsome yes, but his humanity was obvious - at least it was to Sakura.

Madara was walking close to his brother, who Sakura could tell by his gait, was still in pain from his earlier wound. She frowned. The kunai had been embedded deep, but only just managed to knick his intestines. She had healed that first, but she knew because of her distraction and exhaustion, she had done a poor job of everything else. He had caused more damage than there might have been by pulling out the kunai so roughly. Despite his obvious pain, when they came close enough to see each other's faces, she saw that he was smiling at her.

She couldn't manage a smile back, but she gave the best she could: the slight lift in her lips to show she acknowledged him.

Sakura glanced at Madara. His eyes were trained on Itachi, even and studying and suspicious. She faintly wondered if he had a sense that Itachi was his kinsman. To her, Itachi couldn't belong to any clan but the Uchiha. His dark hair and eyes, and the quietly confident way he held himself were just so  _Uchiha._  Madara's confidence was louder, more arrogant and knowing, but everything else about him was the same as Itachi, from what she could tell. Perhaps Madara was hardened where Itachi was kind. Even so, Sakura had seen the kindness disappear from Itachi into the aura of a dark and dangerous shinobi. The Uchiha were an interesting and extreme clan, to say the least.

Madara's eyes shifted to her, and Sakura felt herself stand tall under his penetrating gaze. She ignored the hammering in her chest and looked him in the eyes.

"Good evening," she greeted them, slightly nervously.

Madara inclined his head to her.

"You said you would heal my brother."

"I did," Sakura replied.

He looked at her expectantly, his chin tilted slightly upwards in a way that reminded her of him looking down at her and her friends during the battle. Perspiration formed on her brow, and she had to look away from him.  _Calm down,_  she told herself. She felt his gaze narrow in on her, and she took a breath, trying to steady the trembling that had begun in her body. She looked at Izuna, who looked pale, even in the fading light.  _You're a medic, pull yourself together,_  she chastised.

Izuna stepped forward, looking at her curiously and cautiously. "We meet again." His tone was light but strained.

Sakura swallowed and frowned. She turned to Itachi, who was staring at Madara, his face unreadable. She stepped toward Izuna, whose eyes followed her, and gripped his elbow.

"I'll need you to lay down," she instructed.

He glanced at Madara, who, after a moment, gave a slight nod. Sakura released the breath she held and walked Izuna to the patch of grass by the tree she had been sleeping under earlier. Before she'd rested, Sakura had spent almost an hour wandering around the area with Itachi to look for any medicinal herbs she could use. They'd also come across some edible fruits and nuts, and Itachi had hunted down some food. She didn't find medicine, to her great sorrow.

When they returned, Itachi had lit a fire and the woodland animal was roasting slowly above it. Dinner.

"Smells good," Izuna observed.

"Yes," Sakura replied. She was getting hungry. "Lay on your back," she instructed.

He lowered himself to the ground, trying to hide the hiss of pain that escaped him as he did it.

"Ah, wait. I need you to take your shirt off before you lay down," she said.

Izuna nodded, and reached the arm opposite to his injury behind his head, pulling his shirt up and then down over his head. Sakura felt her brow furrow when she noticed he didn't lift his arm. The pain must have been worse than she thought.

Now topless, Izuna looked questioningly at her. Sakura saw the wound had been wrapped rather haphazardly and blood was seeping through. She let out a sigh of annoyance and unwrapped it. It seemed the Uchiha did not have knowledgable healers after all.

"Itachi," Sakura called to her friend.

He was at her side in moments. She handed the bandage to him.

"Can you wet the clean part of this? I need to wash the wound."

Itachi nodded and left.

"You're a medic but you don't have other supplies?" Izuna questioned her.

She glanced at him, feeling her own humiliation as a medic rise as red in her cheeks, though it was unwarranted given her circumstances.

"No," she answered shortly. "I didn't have time to…pack."

"Your arrival was certainly unexpected." Madara had appeared at her side. She jumped slightly at his presence. He sounded suspicious.

"Yes, it was," Sakura said, not looking at him.

"Hn." Madara seemed unsatisfied.

Thankfully, Itachi returned quickly. He handed the bandage to her, half was wet and half dry. She tenderly wiped away the blood to better inspect the wound. Satisfied, she helped to lower him back slowly, as painlessly as she could.

"Sakura, was it?" Izuna asked. She nodded, surprised he remembered. "I'm Izuna Uchiha," he said.

"I know," Sakura replied. He looked a little pleased and Sakura bit her lip to hide a smile. "I remembered when...Madara called it out earlier."

Izuna looked a little disappointed, glancing at him brother behind them.

"So you knew who Madara was, but not me?"

Sakura felt some amusement bubble inside her, but it was washed away quickly with the recent memories of war and battle.

"Yes." Her tone was cold and harsh, more than she meant it to be.

"Yet I do not know you," Madara spoke from beside her. He was watching her healing intently, she felt his Sharingan on her, it made her skin crawl.

Sakura concentrated on pouring chakra into Izuna's wounds and was pleased when he breathed a little sigh of relief and his body began to relax. She didn't respond to Madara.

"Your reputation precedes you," Itachi answered for her after a moment.

"So it would seem," Madara said, crossing his arms over his chest. "You speak of knowing me, yet you do not speak of yourselves. Who are you?"

Sakura pinched together her brows in concentration, still ignoring him. She saw a little smirk on Izuna's face and she knew he understood that she wasn't responding on purpose. She didn't know why he thought it was funny though.

"Does our identity matter so much?" Itachi asked in his soft-spoken manner. "We don't wish to fight you. My friend has offered to heal you."

Sakura looked up to see Madara's face had become set in an angry and mistrustful expression.

"A friend today could be an enemy tomorrow," Izuna murmured, quietly enough that only Sakura heard him. She frowned.

"We cannot answer your questions," Itachi continued smoothly, "as we also do not know how or why we arrived today."

Sakura was amazed at how logical and simple and persuasive he could sound. Yet, she could feel that it did no good against Madara, and even against Izuna, who was staring at her face like he was trying to burn holes into it to see all her secrets. She ignored him and concentrated on repairing the torn muscles of Izuna's wound, stitching them back together carefully.

"Your arrival was powered by an enormous amount of chakra, and you expect me to believe you don't know how or why it happened?" He looked Itachi up and down. "You are clearly shinobi."

Itachi didn't deny it.

"What are your names?" Madara asked impatiently. "You know of mine, and my brothers. It's rude not to introduce yourselves."

"She is Sakura. I am Itachi."

"You don't have family names?"

Sakura froze slightly, and she felt Itachi's hesitation.

"Sakura Haruno," she supplied quietly. "My friend has no last name."

She glanced at Itachi, who made no indication that he was relieved or happy she had interrupted, but she saw his shoulders relax slightly.

Madara's eyes slid down to Sakura, watching her chakra flow into his brother.

"Perhaps not even Hashirama can heal another so effectively." Sakura felt the compliment heat her cheeks and she fought back a proud smile. "Where did you learn your skills, Sakura Haruno?" He spoke her name like it was a taunt.

Sakura looked up at him. How could she answer that?  _Hashirama's granddaughter taught me_. She almost laughed out loud. As if she could respond truthfully.

"Does it matter?" She asked, eyebrows raised. "I'm a medic. I heal. As you said, my skills are clearly superior almost all others." She looked down at Izuna. "Your brother will require one more session with me when my chakra is better recovered. The offer for your clansmen still stands. If you allow it, I'll heal them. Just as I will the Senju if they ask."

Izuna bristled beneath her. Sakura felt a wave of tiredness come over her, but she was pleased with her work on his wound. She released her chakra and he sat up, marveling at the thin pink scar where there was once an open gash, and tentatively lifted his arm.

"Come back tomorrow," Sakura ordered him firmly. "And do  _not_  overextend yourself. You need to rest."

Izuna gave her a cheeky grin.

"You just want to see me again," he said.

Sakura rolled her eyes and threw his shirt at him. How was he flirting with her when the air between them all was so tense? She stood and peeked at Madara. He was inspecting Izuna, his eyes narrowing in on where the wound had been, and his face softened in relief. Even behind that mass of black hair, she could see his face relax and shoulders drop slightly. Izuna looked much better than he had when they first arrived.

Madara looked over at Sakura and she tensed, feeling trapped by his gaze.

"Thank you."

She balked. She wasn't expecting to be thanked, especially not by Madara Uchiha. She wasn't expecting anything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

"You're welcome," she murmured instinctively, glancing at Itachi.

"Until tomorrow," Madara said.

With a quick wave from Izuna, the brothers were gone. Disappearing into the night. Sakura felt her body relax and let out a heaving sigh. She turned to Itachi, who had decided their dinner was cooked.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him curiously, sitting cross-legged on the ground beside him.

He didn't respond and she let out a huff of annoyance.

"You know, I always thought you talked more than Sasuke, but I guess you're just as bad."

She peered at him and saw a slight curve of his lips.

"He was right about you," Itachi said, a teasing edge to his voice. "You are annoying."

Sakura grinned.

"Only to you Uchiha apparently, everyone else likes me."

He gave a short laugh, but his eyes were serious.

"I was thinking that while using your skills as a medic is an advantage for our situation, we will need to ally ourselves with someone soon. This is not our world, it's dangerous for us to be here without supplies, not until we can figure out what to do."

A somber quiet fell over the two of them. Itachi passed some food to Sakura, who took it greedily.

"We will need to adapt to our new surroundings quickly and use what we know to our advantage."

"How?" Sakura asked. "We don't  _know_   _anything._ The village isn't even built yet."

"No. But, I believe we've been sent here only a short time before it will be. The war-hungry Madara we fought is not the same man we have met. He," Itachi closed his eyes for a moment. "He does not truly want to fight anymore."

She didn't know how he came to that conclusion, but the look on Itachi's face and the soft knowingness in his voice made her hold her tongue. Itachi was not a fighter at heart, she knew that from years of being with his family. Mikoto always called him her sweet gentle boy, and from years of watching and knowing him, she understood why.  _Perhaps_ , she thought,  _he saw something of himself in this Madara._

"And from what I know of my clan's history, Izuna died in a battle against the Senju from a fatal blow from Tobirama," Itachi said, looking at her seriously.

Sakura frowned. It was Tobirama who had struck him when they arrived, she was almost sure that. Did Itachi mean that perhaps they had stopped it? That by saving Izuna's life, Sakura had already changed some part of their history?

"It might happen in a future battle," Sakura suggested, uncertainly.

"Not if this battle is their last."


	4. Part Two: Arrival

**Part Two: Arrival**

**Chapter Four**

Izuna fell asleep almost instantly upon their return home, but Madara didn't stay, he was gone the moment Izuna's breathing evened out. There was somewhere he needed to go, that place from his childhood, the one place he had felt a sense of freedom from his life of never-ending war and death. Hashirama was waiting for him. His chakra was masked - an attempt to hide from Tobirama, no doubt - but even without sensing him, Madara knew Hashirama would be there. He knew Hashirama all too well, though he oftentimes tried to forget that.

With each blow they exchanged, in every battle they faced each other, he felt the depth and truth of Hashirama's feelings. Hashirama didn't want to fight anymore, he still believed in that dream they had once shared. Their battles had become little more than a performance to their clans, and it made both of them hate it. They fought without truly aiming to kill, while others died. It made Madara sick, but it was the reason why he knew Hashirama would pull back on his attack when Madara turned his focus from their fight to his brother. He remained amazed and disgusted at himself with the level of trust he had in someone who should be considered his mortal enemy.

Seeing Izuna almost die had shaken him, more than anything else had in his life. He'd completely disregarded the arrival of the strangely dressed people in the midst of their battle, ignoring them and any danger they posed to get to his brother's side. All his focus had turned to Izuna.

_Izuna._

His chest still tightened at the sight of the blood pouring from his side. That bastard Tobirama - so intent on the death of his clan - had taken the advantage of the distraction to land a killing blow. Yet Izuna did not die. He was saved by that strange pink-haired girl. Madara's brow furrowed thoughtfully. It wasn't just their astonishing arrival or her healing capabilities that had him questioning their origins. He might have imagined it, but for a second, just a flash in time, he was sure he'd seen the Sharingan in the mans eyes. Putting all of that to the side, there was something about the two of them that felt peculiar to Madara. The chakra they'd all felt as the pair arrived was immense and powerful, but there was something else about it, something he couldn't quite grasp or understand. It grated him that he couldn't figure out what it was that seemed to call to him.

The girl was the main reason he chose to hold back and observe them further. He'd never seen a shinobi with pink hair, and that purple diamond on her forehead was another mystery. Some kind of chakra seal, he saw, but didn't recognise the exact nature of it. More important than her appearance was her actions. On the battlefield he watched her do exactly what he had done: she'd disregarded any possible danger - and surrounding her there was a lot of it- to heal Izuna. He'd held back his startled throw of a kunai when he saw the determined and concerned look on her face. He could see she wasn't going to attack. But where did she learn her skill? He'd never seen anyone heal so effectively, and her chakra control was almost unrivalled, as good as himself and Hashirama. His brow furrowed further. Surely, if she'd been able to hone her skills to such a degree, she must be well-known. But he had never heard of a healer like her before, and with her appearance, she would be easily recognised wherever she went.

He jumped from branch to branch, gnawing at the inside of his cheek in thought, hurrying but not rushing to the river. There were many strange things that had happened that needed answers. He felt like something in the world around him had shifted, it unsettled him, and for whatever reason, he needed to speak with Hashirama Senju to feel some semblance of calm. Damn that fool for continuing to draw him in.

He reached the edge of the forest and jumped down from the tree, landing lightly on the grass below. A few steps forwards and the grass became loose pebbles and stones at the banks of the river. His footfalls were so light and well-placed that only the smallest crunch at impact could be heard. His eyes shifted over the dark landscape, and he activated his Sharingan to see clearer. His arms were folded across his chest, and he leaned back on his right leg whilst he waited for the approaching Senju. He was, of course, dressed in his red armour and fully armed. Even if this was a secret meeting, he didn't doubt Tobirama would be carefully watching over his foolish elder brother. The chance of an ambush was high.

Hashirama ambled through the forest towards him, and Madara huffed in impatience at his lack of urgency, his forefinger tapping his bicep in a quick rhythm, he was annoyed the Senju had arrived after him. A moment later, after a rustle in the trees and a surprised and embarrassingly girlish shriek, Hashirama tumbled onto the bank. Madara forced himself not to react. He really tried to keep the threatening smile in a thin and unamused line. The bubbling laughter was pushed further down into his body, his fingers tightening on his biceps with the effort of holding back.

Hashirama was sometimes called a God of Shinobi, known as the most powerful shinobi currently alive. Before his greatest enemy, the supposed God had tripped over a tree - an element he alone had mastery over - and had landed ungracefully on his behind with his long hair turned upside his head. A restrained silence filled the night as Madara watched the man freeze for some few moments before he pushed his hair back from his face.

Through hooded eyes, Hashirama glanced at Madara.

"You're not going to help me up?" His voice was despondent.

Madara bit the inside of his cheek.

"No," he grunted, his shoulders beginning to shake from the repressed laughter.

Hashirama eyed him and sunk into another one of his depressive states.

"I thought we were friends. You're not even going to help me, you're just laughing at me."

As much as Madara wanted to snap at the man for being such a ridiculous fool and remind him that they were enemies not friends, laughter burst from forth from him. Laughter like he hadn't felt in a long time, from a place he usually kept locked away. He laughed with reckless abandon, clutching at his stomach and bending at the waist, like he was being forced the the ground by the hilarity of the entire situation. Hashirama, after a moment, began to laugh as well. In the night, their laughs mingled and brought back memories of the more innocent days they spent together. The laughs drifted into a nostalgic quiet as they looked at one another from across the river.

"Get up you fool," Madara snapped eventually, but not harshly. A touch of a smile on his voice. "We have serious matters to discuss."

"So impatient," Hashirama sighed. He stood slowly. "You're always pushing forward."

Madara cocked an eyebrow.

"Is that so?"

Hashirama, now standing tall, levelled a steady gaze at him. Hashirama's skill at switching between ridiculous moods was amazing and almost envious to Madara, not that he would admit it. He needed to remain focused, the Senju had a talent of making him drop his guard. His arms went back to being folded across his chest.

"Today, Izuna. It frightened you." Hashirama said seriously.

It wasn't a question. Madara couldn't deny it, so he said nothing. But he felt his weight instinctively shift over to one foot, a defensive motion.

Hashirama let out another long sigh.

"You know my feelings, Madara. Speak your own. I want peace, I want to realise our dream and protect our families."

After a moment Madara released the tension in his shoulders.

"I want to protect my family," he replied. "I will do whatever it takes."

Even without his Sharingan, Madara could see Hashirama's face light up in the darkness.

"Will we have peace at last, my friend?"

Madara tapped his fingers thoughtfully across his bicep.

"You are naive to think peace could be achieved so easily, Hashirama. The animosity between our clans cannot be erased."

"But the two of us, together..." Hashirama had a pleading tone to his voice now. "Madara, we can do it if we work together. I know it."

 _He's always been like this_ , Madara thought. Hashirama was constantly pushing forwards, always moving towards his goal, immovable in his ambitions. The differences between them was in character alone. Hashirama was open and obvious, while Madara strove to be in control of his emotions. To achieve both of their goals of peace, Madara knew he had little other choice.

"I will bring the proposal to my clan. We are all tired of battle," he admitted reluctantly.

Hashirama smiled.

"We're going to do this, Madara. The village, a community at peace."

Madara scoffed.

"You speak as if it will be simple."

"It will be with you by my side," Hashirama said confidently.

"The hour grows late and we have other things to discuss," Madara said impatiently. "Do you know what happened today?"

Hashirama grew quiet and thoughtful.

"No," he admitted. "I don't know. Tobirama is furious and suspicious, as you might imagine." He eyed Madara warily. "Did you feel it?"

Madara shifted.

"Feel what exactly?" He asked. "The enormous chakra they arrived with? Of course I did, everyone did."

"No, not that." Hashirama thought for a moment, and then shook his head, seeming to change his mind, and Madara wouldn't allow his curiosity not get the better of him. "What do you think about them? Strange dressed, no?" Hashirama finally asked.

Madara nodded.

"I sense they are more than they appear. How can they not know how they came here?" Madara said irritably, remembering his earlier conversation with them.

"Ah," Hashirama looked at him curiously. "So you went to see them, then?"

"Izuna was persistent," he said flatly. "The healer made an impression."

Hashirama gave a small, knowing laugh.

"I've not seen anyone with skills like her," Madara told him. "Her chakra control is close to unrivalled."

"It's not like you to give compliments so freely," Hashirama teased. "She must have made an impression on you as well."

"She saved my brother's life," Madara snapped. "I've never disrespected someone with true skill."

Hashirama gave a low chuckle.

"What's your opinion of them?" Hashirama questioned.

"I do not know," Madara said after a moment. "There is much suspicion surrounding them, and they don't seem to want to talk about themselves." He frowned frustratedly. "They seemed to know me."

"And me," Hashirama said. Madara looked at him in surprise. "I don't know how, but they seemed to recognise me. I've never seen either of them before."

They fell quiet, the only sounds were of lapping water and crickets singing. Clouds drifted over the moon, darkening the landscape further. Madara opened his mouth and then hesitated. He could tell Hashirama that he and Izuna would return again to the medic in the morning, certain that the Senju would also arrive. But Tobirama would insist on accompanying his brother, and Madara loathed the man. But, he couldn't allow the healer to be bought by the Senju either. If they were going to meet her, he wanted to be there to dissuade any thoughts of her allying with them. His clan needed a healer more, and even Hashirama could admit that. The Senju were not known as the masters of a thousand skills for nothing. They had their own medics. He took a breath, a calculated risk on his tongue.

"In the morn, Izuna and I will return to see the medic. Good night."

With that, he turned and flickered away, back into the forest, ignoring the surprised and annoyed shouts from Hashirama behind him. Madara was not in the habit of explaining himself, particularly when he knew Hashirama would only question him to make him do just that, when he knew full well what Madara had said and meant. He always wanted to talk more deeply about emotions and reasons that Madara did.

Madara made his way back to his clan, trying to think about how to approach them with talks of peace with the Senju, but his mind remained occupied by the strange and talented healer and her even more mysterious friend.

* * *

 

Sakura felt relief flood her when Itachi finally fell asleep. It was clear from the way the tension fell away from his face and his body relaxed that he was completely exhausted.

Despite what the village might have thought about Itachi Uchiha, he was not a machine. He needed rest and comfort, like anyone else, although he'd never admit to it out loud. She shook her head disapprovingly, but with a soft affectionate smile on her face. The Uchiha were a complex clan. They all seemed cold on the surface, but a raging fire burned within them. Sakura had spent enough time with the clan to know it. Sasuke's fire burned dark with his desire to gain power, and again for vengeance after _that_ incidence. Itachi, who seemed cold and calculating, hid a heart filled with love that rivalled Naruto's, although he hadn't shown many real smiles for a long while, since _then._

Looking at his sleeping face, Sakura could see that gentleness return to him. It was funny how sleep did that; it stripped away all exterior shells and masks until you are left with just you - unless you were Kakashi whose mask never came off no matter what. She sighed and stared at the dying fire, her arms wrapping around her knees as she hugged herself. Her mind switching from thoughts of Kakashi and the Uchiha she knew to the ones she didn't. Madara… and Izuna. Sakura's jaw clenched.

Madara.

To her great surprise, she felt a conflict within herself regarding him. The war… his arrogance, the people he killed, his absolute and terrifying power… it made her feel fear to her core, as much as she was ashamed of feeling it. She couldn't help but be struck with how different this Madara seemed.

She let out a little scoff. _This_ Madara, _That_ Madara. How had any of this happened?

She'd calmed down over the course of the day, and was feeling more clearheaded than she had been, her emotions more in check. Being around Itachi's calming intellect certainly helped with that. He was right; they needed to think less about how everything had happened, and more on what they needed to do to survive, for now. Figuring out how to get home and all that came with it would have to wait, and Sakura had a sinking feeling that they would need the help of both the Uchiha and the Senju in the future. Which meant they would need to form good relationships with Hashirama and Madara.

Hashirama didn't seem as complicated as Madara. Of course, she knew far more about the First Hokage than she did the Uchiha. Itachi would need to be their resource for that topic, though she had an idea that her healing was going to be the big draw for both clans. Sakura bit her lip. She was glad her skills as a medic would be necessary, but it did place an amount of pressure on her. It wasn't like she could be constantly draining her chakra to heal complete strangers in the middle of a war who would go on to fight each other. She hated the thought that she could become some tool in their war, patching up the soldiers to keep fighting. The two clans were supposed to form an alliance, to create the village she loved.

Had their arrival changed that? Her heart thumped against her chest at the thought. Surely not, surely her words made some impact on them. She hadn't meant for all of that to spill out of her mouth, to lecture the heroes and founders of her village on how to live. It all just came out in a jumble of confusion and worry and fright and disbelief. Maybe Itachi was right about This Madara. He really was different to the Madara she faced in the war, she had seen that herself. She could only hope. Perhaps she would be fortunate enough to see who the Madara that founded Konoha was, before he lost his way. Just like Sasuke… Sakura shook her head, it wasn't the time to think about the past… or the future… whatever it was. The Before. She needed to think about the now. Madara and Izuna would return before noon, and after that Izuna should be fully healed. She really only wanted to make sure his muscles weren't scarred or bruised. Although she was confident in her abilities, she couldn't say she hadn't been distracted.

Her faced heated slightly remembering how he flirted with her. Even though he looked a little like Sasuke, he definitely didn't act like him. It wasn't like she was never flirted with before; wounded shinobi in her care usually tried it a little. But it was unexpected, given the circumstances, and especially in front of Madara. When she thought about it, it made her realise that she really didn't know anything about Madara Uchiha at all.

* * *

 

In the early hours of the morning, while Sakura washed in the river, Itachi went back to the battlefield they'd come from. His plan was to find any lost or stray weapons and arm themselves. He still had a handful of shuriken, but his kunai were spent and Sakura's weapons pouch was completely empty. They needed to be able to defend themselves without showing too much of their powers, which meant Sakura shouldn't use her strength, although it was her preferred method of fighting.

He paused when he reached the place they had arrived at. There was no indication that something remarkable had happened there. No markings, nothing out of the ordinary aside from the leavings of the Senju-Uchiha battle. Blood stained the rocks and muddied the grass. His mind flashed back to some nights before, when he'd seen the blood of his comrades spilled against those white abominations and reanimated ninja. His stomach twisted painfully as he remembered Sasuke laying prone and close to dead during the battle after Madara attempted to destroy him. He shook the memory off and focused on his task.

It took more time than he imagined it would, especially because of his self-imposed handicap: no Sharingan. It was almost a worthless endeavour; he came away with only six kunai, and they were mostly blunted. He sighed, putting them away in his pouch. He froze when he felt the chakra approaching.

Madara.

He flipped the pouch closed, hid one kunai in his sleeve and waited. Not masking his chakra meant that Madara wanted Itachi to know he was coming. He'd felt the wariness rolling from his ancestor when he looked at him, and wanting to meet with Itachi alone meant there would be some kind of confrontation. Itachi made sure he made no decipherable movements when the man came into view. He stood still, his body alert but made an effort to appear relaxed.

Madara approached slowly, his gait purposeful and his eyes scrutinising Itachi. He stopped walking and stood about five meters from Itachi and a silence stretched between them. Itachi kept his face expressionless and his lips tightly sealed, he wasn't going to offer information until it was asked for, and he was sure Madara had questions. In a motion that reminded Itachi of his younger brother, Madara _tsked_ impatiently, throwing his head back a little before demanding an answer.

"Who are you?"

That question again. It was clear that Madara held suspicions over Itachi in a way that was different to what he held over Sakura. The question was more probing than before, lined with a sense of the need for the knowledge the answer would provide.

"My name is Itachi," he responded.

Madara's eyes narrowed.

"But that is not all you are. What are you hiding?"

His voice was strong and demanding. Itachi's jaw clenched. For his entire life, he'd been taught about how Madara had turned on his village and family, seeking power and turned mad from it, until he was killed by his once-friend. Then he had come face to face with him, learning that he'd been alive, and had manipulated one of his clan to pull off his mad schemes, and watched him try to kill his friends and family. Now, he was facing a different version of that man, the one before he was twisted. Reconciling the two realities was not easy, but he couldn't escape the feeling that it was one of the reasons he and Sakura had been sent to this time. If he told Madara the truth, how would he react? Probably not favourably.

"Even if I explain, it will not help you, nor I, nor my friend."

"Your cryptic answers do nothing to help yourself." Madara's patience seemed to be wearing thin. "Just tell me who you are."

A heavy chakra fell over them, and Itachi saw Madara visibly stiffen under its weight. He flinched unwittingly, and turned to see who had appeared. It was Hashirama Senju and his brother, Tobirama. The former smiled politely, yet it was definitely his immense chakra that had interrupted their conversation. He quickly and skilfully masked it, as if nothing had happened and gave a bright smile.

"Madara, you shouldn't be so demanding of strangers, it's impolite," he chastised Madara lightly.

"Hashirama," Madara spoke through gritted teeth. "What do you want?"

"I just came to say good morning to our new friends," he said pleasantly.

Tobirama rolled his eyes to the back of his head, and Itachi resisted the urge to do the same. The younger Senju's eyes narrowed on Itachi.

"I also want to know who are you and what are you doing here," he said sternly.

Itachi sighed, finally allowing his own irritation at the repetitive questioning to surface.

"I apologise, but I can't answer your questions. You will have to be satisfied with this: I am Itachi, my friend is Sakura Haruno. We do not wish to engage in your war, nor fight you. Sakura has offered to be of medical assistance, should you request it. We refuse to ally ourselves with either of your families, and..." he trailed off and caught all of their eyes. "If any harm comes to Sakura, be assured, I will kill you."

His voice dropped into a dark and threatening tone, betraying how serious he was being. An uncomfortable and hostile silence settled over them. And then Itachi heard a distant scream.

"Sakura," he breathed in panic.

Automatically his Sharingan activated, he turned and he was gone, but not before he realised his mistake. He saw Madara Uchiha's own eyes widen with shock and recognition as they looked into his, and he felt them burn into his back as he went to find Sakura.


	5. Part Two: Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. Before you go on:
> 
> \- Sasuke left to seek power, although an event happens that turns him into an Avenger during his time away from the Leaf. This 'incident' will be covered at some point in the story since it is important for Itachi as well.
> 
> \- Updating schedule... Well, I don't have one exactly. I will TRY to update once per week. Usually on a weekend. Or whenever I can. I usually update pretty fast.
> 
> \- Sakura is an emotionally charged character whereas Itachi, although emotional, is more analytical and calm. Sakura is not weak, nor will I write her as such. At this point in the story, she is confused and overwhelmed.

 

**Part Two: Arrival**

**Chapter Five**

The cool water of the river bit at her skin, but Sakura didn't care. She needed to feel refreshed after the last day and a half, to clear her head and feel clean again. The only problem was that she didn't have a change of clothes, so she would have to be dressed again in the dirty, smelly, torn clothes she'd arrived in. Even washing them wasn't really an option, since neither she or Itachi had anything else to wear. If only that acid ocean hadn't destroyed her sleeve and jacket, she wouldn't be quite so cold. Well, she couldn't be that mad about the jacket, since it did save Sasuke from the desert dimension in the end.

She sighed and submerged herself completely in the river, running her hands through her hair to brush out the knots underwater. She wanted soap. It was nice, being under the surface, letting reality wash over her and away downstream. She kept her eyes closed and allowed herself to relax more than she had in the last few weeks. Her shoulders were stiff and sore, her legs hurt from overuse. She concentrated, letting her chakra run through her body to ease her pain a little. Satisfied bubbles came out of her nose and mouth as her air started to run out, and she reluctantly resurfaced.

The sun was growing warmer as the morning grew later, but she didn't want to get out of the water. The Uchiha brothers would be returning soon and so would Itachi. Probably, she thought with some amusement, it would be better not to greet them totally naked.

She waded out of the river, trying not to feel vulnerable in her nudity as she was fully exposed on the banks of the river walking to her clothes. It wasn't that Sakura was ashamed of her body (she'd worked damn hard on it) or of being naked, but it wasn't something she often did; frolic nude in the wild. She was a medic and she'd seen thousands of bodies, but being a shinobi was about secrets, mystery and hiding. Nudity was the opposite of that, everything was exposed. She wiped down her arms and legs, trying to shake off the excess of water, and then bent to pull on her underwear. She cringed slightly, she really wanted a new pair. Days old underwear wasn't pleasant. Her pants weren't in much better condition. The hems were in tatters from her battles with Madara, the ten-tails and Kaguya. She held them up and sighed in disappointment. She really needed some new clothes.

Her shirt was barely a shirt at all anymore. Before the war, it had been new and pristine. Now, it smelled of sweat and dirt, an entire sleeve was missing, her other sleeve was ripped, as was the neckline and hem at the waist. It was ruined.

Sakura was so distracted by her clothes that it wasn't until she was about to put her shirt on that she felt the faint trickle of chakra close to her. Very close to her.

Her eyes drifted to the right and her body prickled with shock, fear and embarrassment. And then she screamed. Loudly.

She almost ripped her shirt with the force she used to pull it over her head, covering herself quickly and stepping backwards and away. Red-faced and embarrassed, angry and shocked, she turned to face the stupid moron standing not five meters from her, his eyes still stuck on her previously exposed body. She let out a strangled noise of barely disguised rage and disgust and humiliation. At his sheepish grin, Sakura felt the cap of her rage pop off and it took all her training as a medic to remember he was injured and a patient and she couldn't punch him into the ground.

"What the hell do you think your doing?" She screamed instead.

That sheepish grin remained, though his ears and neck were red. Izuna Uchiha gave a little shrug, his eyes finally lifting from her chest to her face.

"Sorry?" He said, not really meaning it.

Sakura stared at him in disbelief.

"That's not an apology! You were watching me - you saw me!" She spluttered. "How long have you been there?!"

Izuna looked away and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Uh, a few minutes, I guess?"

A few minutes.

"So," she said, her voice low and shaking with anger. "You saw me come out of the water. You masked your chakra." It wasn't a question, it was a statement and the fact he still didn't really give a response or look at her enraged her again. "You pervert!"

Sakura waited indignantly for him to apologise or something, anything. He turned back to face her, and she folded her arms across her chest, as if she was still undressed. An awkward air rose between them and Izuna opened his mouth to say something, finally looking embarrassed, but he couldn't say anything when a figure dropped in front of Sakura, crouched and defensive, kunai drawn. It was Itachi.

"Sakura," his voice was a low growl. "What happened?"

He must of heard her scream and come rushing back. Although she felt warmth rush through her at his actions, she also felt humiliation redden her cheeks.

"Nothing, he just - "

Sakura was cut off by Izuna's shocked voice.

"Sharingan."

Sakura stiffened and felt a heavy realisation dawn on her. Itachi had activated his Sharingan to save her, and in doing so betrayed his identity. Her chest seized in panic, the chakra presence of three other shinobi were descending on them quickly. Madara, Hashirama and Tobirama. Not good, not good, not good.

"Itachi." She rushed to stand in front of him, taking his arm and forcing him to lower his kunai. She stared into his red eyes. They were focused and deadly, her presence breaking their stare from Izuna behind her. "Itachi, Itachi stop now. I'm safe."

Her voice was low and pleading. He looked up at her eyes and slowly his Sharingan faded, and a small panic replaced them.

This wasn't supposed to have happened.

Three thuds behind her alerted Sakura to the arrival of three of the strongest shinobi in history. Her back stiffened in fear. Quickly her mind steeled itself. This wasn't the time to be panicking or looking to someone else for help. Now, it was Itachi who needed her. He'd always been there for her and Naruto, especially after Sasuke had left. It was her turn to protect him.

She turned, wiping her face of fear and stood before Itachi protectively, staring down the shinobi.

"Brother, he - " Izuna's voice was loud, his eyes shocked.

"Quiet, Izuna."

The harsh command from Madara surprised them both, and she heard a soft noise of surprise coming from Itachi behind her.

"But he - "

"Enough!" Madara's voice seemed to shake the world around them. It was deep and authoritative, surprising even the Senju. His eyes cut to his brother, who was pale and staring at him with a look of disbelief. "I am aware. We will discuss this - " he looked back at Sakura and Itachi " - later."

Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"If you want him, you've have to go through me," she threatened.

She didn't break her determined glare at Madara, who looked right back into her eyes with a calm that unsettled her.

Hashirama cleared his throat.

"If you don't mind my interruption - "

"I do mind," Madara snapped at him.

Hashirama's shoulders drooped depressively.

"Sakura." Itachi's voice was quiet behind her. She waited for him to speak but didn't respond. "You don't have to do this."

A movement from Izuna caught her eye. He took a step forward, his brow was furrowed and eyes wary. Sakura snapped, all her instincts to protect and fight were activated, and all her humiliation of him seeing her completely naked was unleashed in a single stomp of her foot that cracked and shook the earth.

She took great satisfaction the the knowledge that neither the Senju or Uchiha were expecting that.

They all fought for balance on shifting landscape, while Sakura grabbed Itachi and jumped back to a safe distance.

"That wasn't necessary, Sakura," Itachi said harshly. "You don't understand what was happening."

"No?" Sakura snapped. "I understand that you let Madara and Izuna see your Sharingan. You said yourself that it was a bad freaking idea to do that." She took a deep breath. "Just let me protect you, Itachi. You've certainly done enough for me."

"I don't need protecting," Itachi muttered with some irritation. "Madara wasn't going to say anything in front of the Senju."

Sakura looked across the small crater she'd created and saw them all staring at her with an open-mouth. Sakura clenched her jaw.

"Why are you so damn smart?" She said to Itachi, who gave a small reluctant chuckle.

Hashirama, to everyone's surprise, suddenly started to cheer and whoop in excitement.

"That was amazing!" He cried out. "Tobi, did you see that? Her strength is incredible!"

Tobirama said something in return but Sakura couldn't hear it. She was more focused on the Uchiha. Madara was giving her a look of...approval, she supposed. It was weird. But Izuna had a hand to his side, and she felt a sliver of guilt run through her. She was supposed to have been healing him.

"I'm sorry I screamed," she said quietly to Itachi. "Izuna arrived earlier than I expected. I wasn't…dressed."

Itachi gave her an amused glance before it turned serious again.

"So what do we do now?" He asked her.

Sakura sighed. Hashirama was still going on about her strength, while the others were shifting warily around each other. Izuna and Tobirama glared at each other, and Madara didn't take his gaze off her or Itachi. Hashirama seemed to be the only one completely unguarded and at ease, although Sakura suspected he was more aware of his surroundings than he let on.

"I still have an Uchiha to heal," Sakura replied. "Maybe we should make sure Tobirama doesn't try and kill Izuna again."

Itachi gave her a small nod. She bit her lip and then called out to them.

"Hey. Uh - Pervert Izuna!"

Izuna flinched and looked over at her, as did everyone else, a question in all their eyes. She gave Itachi a shrug.

"Breaking the tension?" She muttered. He just shook his head at her. "I can still heal you if you want," she called to him.

"After you just tried to kill me?" Izuna shouted back. "No thank-you."

Sakura put her hand on her hip.

"I didn't just try to kill anyone. If you had've died from that, you're weaker than I thought. Anyway, I can always tell your brother just how perverted - "

"OKAY!" Izuna shouted with alarm.

Madara turned to look at him, muttering something quietly and Sakura watched as Izuna shook his head quickly. She smirked. It was working.

She pointed to the not-destroyed opposite side of the river.

"Let's go over there," she shouted.

Itachi gripped her wrist.

"Sakura," he said seriously. "Be careful. We need them to come together and create the village."

Sakura shrugged her wrist from his grip and gave him an irritated look.

"Itachi, don't you want to be Hokage? Why don't you let me do what I can do, and you do what you can? Your dream is just like theirs. Maybe you know them the best of anyone."

A stunned expression crossed his face, and satisfied she had gotten through to him, Sakura followed the shinobi across the river. Itachi followed her a moment later, deep in thought.

* * *

Madara Uchiha sat on a rock above the healer and his brother, watching over them carefully while keeping Itachi in his peripheral vision.

His fists clenched on his thigh, unseen by anyone else. Itachi - he possessed the Sharingan. Within, Madara boiled with anger and unanswered questions, but he refused to let it show on his face. He was well practiced in hiding his true emotions, and that practice served him well. He kept quiet and calmed his mind, thinking about everything that had happened: the way the pair had avoided answering any of his questions, their obvious unease around him… it all made sense now. They had been trying to hide the truth from him.

Itachi. Itachi Uchiha or someone else? He knew other clans often tried to steal the kekkai genkai from powerful shinobi, and the Uchiha eyes were valuable. But it had been years since even an attempt at theft had been made. How was it possible that this stranger had his clans power?

"I've healed all your wounds. With a day or two resting, you shouldn't have any problems," the girls voice cut into his thoughts.

"Thank you," Izuna said gruffly.

Madara watched the pair curiously. They were studiously avoiding eye contact with each other, and both their ears were tipped with pink. Clearly, something had happened between them while Madara had gone to confront Itachi. Perhaps it had something to do with her scream, and then calling him 'pervert Izuna.' To his recollection, no one had called Izuna that before.

"Your skills are truly remarkable," Hashirama said, walking towards them.

Izuna stiffened and cast a glare toward the man. Madara understood his brother's feelings towards the Senju, but he couldn't help to feel there was something wrong about feeling it toward Hashirama. A prickle of unease crept down his spine. Would peace ever be possible between them?

"A medic and a warrior. You are a fine kunoichi," Hashirama continued to praise Sakura, who gave him a shy smile.

The corners of her lips dropped for a moment.

"I wanted to apologise for before," she said, her voice wavering with embarrassment. "I was a little on edge."

She glanced at Izuna and met Madara's eyes, suspicion swirling in them.

Hashirama, Madara knew, sensed the tension between them all. He didn't comment on it and kept his annoyingly deceptive facade of cheer and ignorance in place with a bright smile.

"Not to worry, not to worry," he said pleasantly. "Madara was right about you: your chakra control is amazing."

Sakura raised an eyebrow and looked at Madara again, an surprised and then almost smug expression on her face. Madara looked away, wanting to hit Hashirama over the head. That fool. Any second now Tobirama would -

"And when, brother, did you speak to Madara?" Tobirama's voice was barely restrained.

Hashirama froze, looked back at Tobirama over his shoulder and gave a shrug.

"I can read minds now," he said weakly.

Madara snorted and looked at the girl who also started giggling, even Itachi and Izuna looked amused.

Tobirama raised an eyebrow.

"Can you read my mind now?" He asked darkly.

Hashirama turned back to his brother fully, holding up his two hands defensively.

"Now, now, Tobi. Let's be calm in the company of friends."

"Friends?" Izuna's skeptical voice cut through the conversation. "We are not friends." He spat.

"I agree," Tobirama said, mirroring the disgust in Izuna's voice.

Madara's felt coldness crawl over his skin. He moved his gaze from Sakura to Tobirama, feeling his face darken. How was this man so different from his brother?

"Might I ask why Hashirama and Tobirama Senju came here today?" Itachi interrupted them.

Madara relaxed back on the rock he sat on, taking his gaze from Tobirama back to the new - possible - Uchiha.  _A timely interruption_ , Madara thought. There was an intelligence in his eyes and wisdom that Madara had rarely seen before. Even before his suspicions of the Sharingan had been confirmed, the man had intrigued him.

"We want to know who you are and how you came here," Tobirama said bluntly.

More than anything else, Madara admired Tobirama's ability to get to the point. Sakura shifted nervously in place by Izuna. She wanted to move to her companion's side, that much was clear, but she stayed put, observing them all carefully. Madara felt something akin to respect for her.

"I don't accept your answers of ignorance," Tobirama continued.

Neither did Madara, or Izuna, or Hashirama. Sakura gave a long, drawn out sigh and Madara watched her with a wearied expression. She had that same look on her face from the battlefield when she'd lectured them, and from earlier, when she'd all but destroyed the area with a single step: determined, frustrated, strong. There was something else underlying it, something like compassion. She was certainly an interesting girl.

"You can accept it or not. We don't know how we came here. Do you really think we would have knowingly dropped into the middle of your goddamn war and risked being killed? Don't be such moron," she snapped. "How many times do we have to say it? I'm Sakura," she pointed to herself and then to her friend, "he's Itachi. We don't want to fight you, I even offered to heal you if you wanted. Stop being so freaking stubborn, Tobirama."

There was a long pause following her outburst, broken by Izuna's quite snickering at Tobirama being scolded. Sakura's face went red. Hashirama gave her an appraising look, and Madara found himself more relaxed having already decided to deal with them later. At least, with Itachi. The healer had earned his favour from healing his brother, and he wanted to get on her good side, his clan needed her. He smirked at her outburst.

"Well?" She challenged Tobirama again. "Don't you have something to say? Or should we settle this with our fists?"

Madara raised an eyebrow at this. She was willing to go against Tobirama Senju, just to prove herself? A show of incredible, inhuman strength was one thing, but a true battle against someone as skilled as Tobirama was another thing entirely. Only he and his brother had proven themselves the equals of Hashirama and Tobirama.

Tobirama gave her an uncharacteristic smile.

"Don't wish to cross me so easily,  _Sakura."_  He said her name like it was a taunt. "I'll hold back my suspicion until the day your words are proved false. That day, it won't just be my fists you'll need to worry about."

Sakura crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed.

"You're not the scariest person I've come across,  _Tobi."_  She inflected the same taunt on his name that he had on hers. "You should try to threaten people like you mean it."

Hashirama laughed at that, and Madara's smirk widened.

"I like you, Sakura."

Hashirama clapped the girl on her shoulder, and Itachi was there beside her in a move almost too quick to be seen. Hashirama took a step back, not wanting to instigate any bad feelings, and continued to smile.

"I would like to ask you both to accompany me to the Senju compound," he said. Madara sat up straighter. "The Senju medics are knowledgable of course, but you, my dear Sakura, far exceed their talents."

"We said - " Sakura's excuse was cut off my Hashirama's hand.

"I'm not asking you to join us, just to share knowledge and wisdom in your craft. You would be free to come and go when you pleased. We wouldn't hold any negative feeling towards you if you accepted Madara's offer as well."

Sakura glanced at Itachi, who was measuring Hashirama in his eyes. Both seemed reluctant to give an answer, and Madara's chest fluttered with an onslaught of nerves at what they might say.

"The gift!" Izuna suddenly exclaimed, reaching into his obi.

"Gift?" Sakura murmured.

Izuna pulled out two small packets, and with gleaming eyes and a small smirk at the Senju, handed them out to Sakura and Itachi. With a frown, Sakura took one and Itachi the other.

"What is this?" Sakura asked Izuna.

Izuna's smirk transformed into a kind smile.

"Well, since you said that you didn't have time to pack any supplies it's a thank-you," he said. At her raised eyebrow and hint of a smile, he continued, "It's from myself, my clan and at Madara's instance. Really, it was Madara's idea. It's a change of clothes. Yours look… dirty." He settled on the least offensive term he could think of.

Madara turned away and rolled his eyes, an action unseen by anyone else. But watched curiously from the corner of his eye for the reactions of the recipients of his gifts. Hashirama and Tobirama watched on silently.

The first thing Itachi did was turn the clothing over to check for the crest. Madara held in a scoff, and Izuna looked at Madara knowingly. The crest was there, and Itachi clenched his fists slightly around the clothing, looking up at Madara with narrowed eyes.

Sakura bit her lip.

"Thank you," she said politely. Madara felt the 'but' coming before she said it. "But we told you - we won't ally ourselves with either of your clans. Wearing your crest is like a declaration of that."

"I wonder, Itachi," Madara said slowly, ignoring Sakura. "Would you take off that green vest? I've not seen anything like it before."

Itachi's eyes narrowed further.

"No," he said shortly.

"As expected," Madara said, his lips curving into a small smile that Sakura flinched from and Itachi seemed to dislike.

Tobirama looked at them all suspiciously.

"Well, isn't this fortuitous," Hashirama exclaimed, breaking the building tension. They all looked over at him, Sakura seemed relieved at the interruption. "It happens that we also came bearing gifts."

"We did?" Tobirama sounded as amused as he did tired and anxious.

Hashirama gave his brother a look.

"Of course we did."

It was obvious to everyone that he was clearly lying. He turned back to Sakura and Itachi with a nervous smile.

"I just forgot to bring them."

Madara, like Sakura, almost fell over in response to his idiocy. Despite himself, Madara couldn't help but chuckle, which earned him a hard stare from Izuna.

"Why does this seem so familiar?" Sakura muttered with some exasperation.

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness," Itachi said.

"Or thoughtlessness," Izuna muttered under his breath.

"Instead of gifts," Itachi went on, "perhaps you could part with information."

Tobirama quirked an eyebrow in interest.

"Oh?" Hashirama inquired. "What is it you want to know?"

"What do you know about the Sage of Six Paths?"

The question left everyone stunned, even, Madara saw, the girl. She looked at him wide-eyed and questioning. Madara furrowed his brow, trying to remember anything about the legend of the first shinobi.

"That's a broad question," Tobirama said. "What specifically do you want to know?"

"Are there any who still follow his ideals? Temples or places of worship?" Itachi asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Tobirama inquired, curiosity in his voice.

Madara saw Sakura give Itachi a look asking the same question, and then suddenly, her mouth opened as she understood. He frowned, frustration bubbling in him. There were too many strange things going on with the two of them.

"It is clear that none of you trust us, except in the capacity to use Sakura for her skills."

His voice was harsh, and it was clear that he meant to sound as blunt as he did. Even Hashirama had the decency to look a little ashamed.

"As much as you want answers, so do we. Our circumstances are…complicated," he said hesitantly.

"Your circumstances involve the Sage of Six Paths?" Tobirama asked skeptically.

"Perhaps," Itachi answered, reverting to his cryptic responses.

"There's a temple I heard of once," Madara said slowly, still questioning himself why he was saying anything at all. "At the top of this mountain, you'll see two peaks in the distance to the north. It's supposed to be between them."

Itachi looked surprised at his response, as did Izuna. Itachi gave a small nod of thanks and Sakura cleared her throat.

"Thank you, Madara."

Madara was surprised at the sincerity in her voice, and even more so by the lack of fear or unease in her eyes when she looked at him. It might have been the first time she seemed relaxed in his presence. She looked down at the clothes he'd given her.

"Wearing the Uchiha crest while traveling… we're not familiar with this t- uh, area. Will it be safe?"

"I would suggest avoiding people," Tobirama said in a low and disapproving voice.

Sakura cut her eyes to him.

"I wasn't asking you."

He  _tched_  and looked away. Hashirama clapped his brother's shoulder.

"The journey may take some weeks and you have no other clothes," Madara shrugged. "I would imagine any shinobi who didn't want to die would avoid you as much as you would avoid them. Our clan," he glanced at Itachi, "has a reputation."

There was look in Itachi's eyes, he was asking an unspoken question: would he truly let them go without a fight, without more questions? The answer was yes, to Madara's great surprise, and they shared a look of understanding that did not go unnoticed by Hashirama. Madara was sure they would have words later.

Izuna put a hand on Sakura's forearm and held strong even when she flinched under his grip. He smiled at her.

"Thank you for healing me. And, I want to apologise, for earlier."

"I accept," she said, clearing her throat. "Just don't ever do it again. And as for healing, that's what I do," she replied, a genuine smile on her face.

Izuna blushed, to Madara's amusement. She turned to Madara and gave a slight inclination of her head, before turning to the Senju.

"Thank you for your kindness, Hashirama...and thank you for showing the strength of your bond to your family, Tobirama."

Tobirama seemed surprised to hear her complimenting him, particularly since she had been so dismissive of him just moments before.

 _His loyalty might be his only good trait,_  Madara thought.

"Will you depart now?" Madara asked them.

Itachi and Sakura shared a quick look before Itachi nodded.

"Before we leave, I want to say one thing," Itachi announced.

When all their attention was one him, he spoke with confidence and authority.

"You are all fighting for the same thing, and you all dream, in your hearts, of the same outcome: safety, peace, love, and family. You have stood in this place with us, hostile but civil. I wonder if this isn't the first step towards realising your dreams." He gave them all a hard look. "The first step to peace is the hardest, but I can promise you, it will be worth every hardship in the end."

He turned to Sakura, who gave him a bright smile of approval, before she turned to them all, gave a quick and awkward wave and then they left, disappearing into the trees, their chakra's now masked, leaving the Uchiha and Sanju to their thoughts.

* * *

Itachi's words hung in the air as they looked at each other, and Madara wondered what his and Hashirama's brothers thought.

 _The first step is the hardest_.

Something inside Madara shifted and he felt a sensation he'd never known before. Deep within him, he felt a powerful urge to take that step. For a moment, he resisted, but in his mind, he saw himself and Hashirama as children, atop that cliffside looking down at the sea of trees talking about building the village. He saw flashes of what that life could be like. Was it the influence of Itachi and Sakura's words, or something else? He didn't know, but in his mind's eye he saw Izuna walking in front of his, his hand held by a small child, a smile on his face like Madara had rarely seen before.  _Family,_  his mind echoed.

His resistance crumbled, and without a glance to Tobirama or Izuna, Madara took a step toward Hashirama. It was the first time he had stepped first, instead of Hashirama coming to him, since they were children. The significance was not lost on Hashirama, who stepped toward him in kind.

They faced each other. Chest to chest, eye to eye and slowly their hands raised and came together. They met skin to skin, grip in grip. A simple move that made Madara's body feel strangely full. A handshake, a step. The world seems to fall into silence around them, the air heavy. Not a word was spoken but understand passed between them.

Madara withdrew his hand, a sudden bout of shyness coming over him, and he turned to see a surprised and almost angry looking Izuna staring at him.

"Come," Madara said quietly to his brother. Izuna followed without a word, and they walked across the river before using the body flicker to retreat deeper into the forest.

Izuna stopped as soon as the chakra signatures of the Senju were gone.

"Madara."

Izuna's voice was serious and commanding. It was rare that he used that tone on his elder brother, and Madara waited for him to speak.

"You cannot trust the Senju."

Madara felt his patience wearing thin.

"Do you want to die?" He retorted harshly. "Do you want to live your life at war? I promised I would protect you, and I will keep that promise, no matter what."

Izuna glared at him.

"By making peace with our enemies?"

"Yes."

His tone was final. Enemies, friends, what did it matter? Time waited for none. Peace was the inevitable outcome of war, and Madara wanted - no, he needed to be a part of that. He felt it more strongly than he had ever felt it before. Something inside him was changing.

Izuna crossed his arms over his chest and Madara saw the doubt, hurt and anger in his eyes, but his brother didn't press him further about the Senju.

"You let him leave," Izuna said eventually.

Now he spoke of Itachi. Madara gave a short nod.

"Why? How did he come to have our eyes? Who is he?" Izuna questioned, his voice demanding and concerned.

Madara sighed, those were questions he didn't know the answer to. Not yet, at least.

"He will return," he said simply.

"How do you know?" Izuna asked incredulously. "You can't  _know_  that."

"I do," Madara said confidently. "He'll return. He's...family."

Izuna scoffed.

"Family? He could be a thief, a traitor. We don't know him."

"No." Madara shook his head, not knowing how he knew it, only that he did. "He is an Uchiha."


	6. Part Three: Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have made some edits about the timelines. If you've read this on my fanfiction account, you'll see what's different. In any case, it's not really going to make a difference, just details.

 

**Part Three: Revelations**

**Chapter Six**

It was a relief to both Sakura and Itachi to finally change into fresh, clean clothes. Sakura felt strange in the high necked outfit, her inner child blushing furiously at the thought that once upon a time she wanted to wear the Uchiha crest beside Sasuke. At first glance, it seemed like her childhood dreams were coming true. Except that she was standing beside Itachi, and the clothes were a gift from Madara.

Itachi, Sakura observed, looked completely comfortable and annoyingly aristocratic. He wore the clothes like they were made for him, which they basically were. She grimaced as she looked him up and down. He quirked his eyebrow in with a question when he saw her face, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

She huffed with annoyance.

"You're just so naturally handsome. It's annoying."

"I apologise," Itachi said with mirth.

Sakura rolled her eyes and punched him lightly on the arm.

"Yeah, whatever. Stupid Uchiha with your perfect genetics," she muttered in angry-jest. "You're lucky you're not a girl, I don't know if I could handle standing beside you."

"Sakura, you're being overly dramatic."

She let out a sigh.

"Well, it's distracting me from thinking too hard about everything." She motioned to the world around them, indicating that 'everything' included literally everything. "I really don't want to leave our clothes behind."

She looked down at her ruined black outfit mournfully, taking a peek at Itachi's flak jacket.

Itachi gave a small, wry smile.

"Honestly, neither do I. But we can't carry them with us."

"I know. It's just… It feels like we're leaving  _them_  behind, you know?" Sakura said quietly.

She knew Itachi understood what she meant. Them wasn't just the clothes. It was what they represented. Home. Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, Tsunade, Ino... Their outfits were the only physical links they had. She lowered the clothes reluctantly into the small pit she had dug, and Itachi laid his on top of hers.

He moved some rocks to cover them and laid a hand on Sakura's shoulder. It was a small comfort, but a comfort all the same.

"We'll come back," he said quietly.

She hoped he was right. If they were suddenly sent back to the war wearing fully Uchiha clothes, there would be a lot of explaining to do. She looked up at him and gave him a brief smile.

"I guess we need to find something to eat," she said. "I can probably find some roots and herbs that will sustain us, but it's not going to be pleasant."

Itachi made a face.

"Perhaps we should have requested supplies before we left."

Sakura shook her head vehemently.

"No, we needed to just go. Madara might change his mind if we stay. I still don't know why he let us leave in the first place after finding out about you."

"He thinks we will come back," Itachi told her. "He'll analyze everything we've said and done in the meantime and wait until we return to confront us."

"How can you be so sure?" Sakura asked, wishing again that her mind worked like Itachi's.

Itachi gave a small shrug.

"It's the most logical explanation."

Sakura gave him a look that said she didn't entirely believe him.

"Right."

She was sure there was more to it than that. She had noticed the look that passed between the two of them, and though she didn't know what it meant, there was some kind of understanding between them.

"In any case, I wish we had sealing scrolls," Sakura muttered. "They'd be helpful right about now for supplies."

Itachi murmured in agreement.

"Yes. But you're forgetting something, Sakura."

"What's that?"

"Our summons" he gave her a faint smile.

Sakura's eyes lit up and she grinned.

"Honestly, Itachi, has anyone ever told you that you're a genius?"

* * *

With the confirmation that his summons, somehow, were still available to him, Itachi felt a wave of relief. With his crows, the process of gathering supplies was greatly expedited. As was their navigation. They'd buried their clothes halfway up the mountain after departing from the founders when they were sure they weren't being followed. Standing atop the mountain, Sakura was dismayed to see how distant the peaks Madara had told them about actually were. Itachi estimated up to a month of travel, taking into consideration how exhausted they both were and the likelihood the speed of their travel would be hampered by trying to remain hidden.

"A month?" Sakura exclaimed, dismayed.

"A generous estimate," he explained.

She pursed her lips unhappily.

"If I had the chance when I was younger, or even a spare moment during the war, I would have copied the Fourth's Flying Thunder God Technique," Itachi mused. "Sealing the mark to a crow to travel to would help the trip exponentially."

"I don't know why people think you're stuffy and aloof, Itachi. You're clearly hilarious," Sakura drawled.

They traveled quickly, spending most of the next two weeks keeping to the trees and avoiding all people. Itachi's superior ability to sense chakra helped them, and his summoning crows, although annoyed at the task, spent the days scouting ahead for the best path and gathering fruits and nuts for sustenance.

Their journey was filled with mostly comfortable silences and some familiar conversation. For the last five years, Sakura had been an important figure in not just Itachi's life, but for his entire clan. She had spent enough time with his family to be considered something like an adoptive daughter. Itachi was easy in her presence, and she was comfortable in his. Something that he always had trouble finding in his younger days. Sakura, Naruto, Shisui, Kakashi and Izumi were the only ones that had ever seemed truly unguarded and at ease around him, everyone else kept a wall around themselves and Itachi wasn't inclined to break them down unless they heightened his estimation of them by trying to break down his.

Stuck in this strange and previously unimaginable situation, Itachi was glad he was with Sakura. If he had to choose who he would want to come with him, he would have chosen Sakura, even over Shisui. Shisui was one of the greatest and most feared Shinobi in the world, and like an older brother to Itachi, but he didn't have the skills Sakura did, nor was he able to keep the same presence as she could. Her skills as a medic were invaluable, and to Itachi personally, she gave him a clearer sense of calm and collection than Shisui did. She kept him feeling more human.

Itachi spent many of the days they traveled speculating as to why it was the two of them that had been targeted by the chakra of Asura and Indra. He had many thoughts, but with no firm conclusions, he didn't voice his opinions and he was grateful Sakura didn't ask. Though he was concerned that she was either denying herself from thinking too much about it, or it hadn't occurred to her the effect that coming to the past could have. She mentioned 'going home' enough to make Itachi begin to feel irritable.

But Itachi knew that Sakura had her mind on other things as well. Nightmares had begun to plague her. Itachi noticed it on their third night: her hitched breathing, the restless movements, the moans and shouts of fright, calling out the names of her comrades, the furrowing of her brow and the perspiration on her face.

War, Itachi knew, was difficult to get over, and as a medic, she had seen some of the worst of it.

It was the fourteenth day of their journey when she collapsed from exhaustion. Itachi caught her before she hit the ground. Her eyes were bruised from lack of sleep, her cheeks sallow from their travel and lack of proper nutrition, and her skin was pale. He felt guilt surge through him. He'd set the pace too fast and hard, not noticing how much she was suffering, since she tended to hide her troubles own in favour of taking care of others. She wasn't trained like he was, as an ANBU, unrelentingly hard. She was certainly strong but needed to rest, and she had always had a propensity for fainting.

He carried her, an arm hooked under her legs and the other holding her around her shoulders tightly to his chest. She was a small thing, he realised. He'd never noticed how small and light she actually was. She always seemed so much bigger with her insane strength and the confident way she carried herself and that temper she often allowed to get the better of her. Her added weight didn't make it harder in any way for him to shunsin from tree to tree. He scanned the area as he went, looking for a quiet and isolated place for them both to rest.

His crows found a small clearing not far from a small creek and he laid the still unconscious Sakura down. Her back was protected by a tall and solid moss-covered rock, and he made certain to leave a crow to guard over her while he went hunting for a more substantial meal. Itachi was sick of roots, nuts, and fruits. What he really wanted was some dango, but he'd settle for some cooked meat.

* * *

Sakura woke to a mouth-watering smell. Her nose sniffed at the air before her eyes fully opened. It was meat. She saw through bleary eyes a small fire and an animal roasting above it. Her stomach grumbled with hunger and joy. She heard a low chuckle from her right and turned her head to see Itachi laughing at her. She sat up and wiped her eyes, giving him a tired smile.

"Sorry," she said, shame creeping into her cheeks. "I didn't mean to pass out."

"No one does," Itachi replied.

Sakura decided to ignore him. Sometimes she wondered how good an influence Shusui really was on Itachi. All his joyful sarcasm tended to rub off on Itachi and come out at the strangest of times. Not that Sakura minded. It was better than before when Sasuke first left the village and Itachi had retreated back into a cold shell himself. It took a long time for her to get close enough to him to pull him back out again, and that was only with Mikoto's help.

"Smells good," Sakura said with a yawn.

Itachi hummed in agreement, laying back against a rock with his eyes closed. Sakura peered at him with concern. If she were anyone else, she doubted she'd be able to pick up on the slight tension in his face. Itachi was good at hiding what he felt and when he was in pain - even better than Kakashi - but she'd known him long enough to be able to see through him.

She crawled over to him, a medic's determination and concern in her eyes. He peeked at her through his long dark lashes and sighed.

"I'm fine, Sakura."

"What is it with you and your family? It's like you want to go blind," Sakura said disapprovingly.

He closed his eyes again but didn't put up any resistance. She put her hands over his eyes, and they glowed green with her healing chakra. She wasn't feeling her best; she was tired and physically drained, but her chakra levels were just high enough she didn't need to worry too much, and even if they weren't, Itachi's eyes were more important. As much she knew she could take care of herself, Itachi's skill and prowess were still levels above her own, and losing him in any capacity would make being in this time far more difficult. She felt her chakra flow into his eyes, soothing the inflammation and strain on them, holding back a fond smile as his face relaxed beneath her hands.

"You shouldn't use them if you can help it," Sakura suggested quietly. "They're still not completely recovered from all the use in the war. Sorry I didn't notice earlier."

Itachi didn't reply, and after a few more moments when Sakura was satisfied with her treatment, she lowered her hands and sat back on her heels, looking away but not moving from beside him.

She didn't want to think about the war. She hadn't been sleeping much because she didn't want to dream about it. It was why she had passed out. Her dreams were filled with death. She kept seeing an endless parade of wounded, who turned into the people she loved, into her friends and she couldn't save them no matter how hard she tried, everyone kept slipping away from her.

"What do you think is happening to them?" She asked quietly.

Itachi glanced at her, giving her an undecipherable look. She waited for him to speak, but he didn't, and the look on his face made her stomach flip uncomfortably. He wasn't saying something, he hadn't been saying much of anything whenever she mentioned home. The quiet around them seemed to grow, both of them in their own heads. Doubt and anxiety pushed at Sakura's consciousness, but she didn't let them stay. She didn't know how long they stayed like that; it felt like it could've been hours, but she doubted it was longer than five minutes.

Itachi reached a hand out to touch her arm lightly and his sudden movement jolted her from her thoughts.

"Dinner," he said, clearing his throat.

"Great!" Sakura exclaimed, falsely cheerful. "I'm starving."

* * *

They spent two nights in the clearing. Even though he wouldn't admit it aloud, Itachi was glad to have the rest. Fourteen days of constant travel was taxing, and even more so since his mental strain had been as great as his physical.

They were both feeling the effects of the war still. In the earlier days of their arrival, they had been in the constant presence of either the Uchiha or the Senju. Their bodies had been running on adrenaline, their minds keeping sharp because they had to be constantly on guard. Now, in the middle of the forest, with little danger around them, Itachi and Sakura had given into their weary bodies. His crows were capable of alerting them to anything suspicious and Itachi used the opportunity to catch up on some rest.

His dreams were nightmares like Sakura's, but they weren't of the war.

He dreamed of Izumi, of her eyeless corpse reaching out for him, asking why he wasn't there to save her. Why he let her die. Itachi couldn't move, couldn't speak. She kept advancing on him, her fingers white and bony, her eye sockets bleeding down her face.

 _I'm sorry,_  he choked.  _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry._

Her hands reached his face, tenderly poking him until her fingers moved to his eyes and she reached in…

Itachi woke up. He didn't jolt awake, or twitch, or wake with any indication he had been having a nightmare. He lay still, and only his rapid heartbeat betrayed his fear. He felt a warm hand cupped his cheek and he opened his eyes to see the brilliant green eyes of Sakura looking down at him, filled with concern.

"Are you okay? Your chakra spiked," Sakura said. She frowned. "You're a little warm."

Itachi sat up, drawing away from her grasp.

"I'm fine," he said sharply.

Sakura pulled away, looking a little hurt, her hands clasped together in her lap. He looked away from her. It was morning, just after dawn, judging by the light. The third day. They needed to leave.

Sakura stood and adjusted her dress.

"We should get going soon," she said indifferently. She looked over at him, something close to a glare on her face. "If you have a fever and you don't tell me, I'll kick your ass."

The lingering negative feelings that Itachi had been feeling from his dream disappeared into amusement at Sakura's threat. She always managed to do that to him, calm him, make him see the funny side of things.

"As if you could," he teased.

She put a hand on her hip. Half her face was hidden by the high-necked Uchiha garb, but Itachi could still see her eyes. They were dangerously narrowed, making Itachi's lips lift in a grin.

"I'll have you know, I beat down Shisui once."

Itachi stood.

"That definitely doesn't count," he said, brushing off the grass from his dress. "He was going easy on you."

"Excuse me?" The coldness in Sakura's voice could have cut him.

Itachi sighed.

"I'm not doubting your abilities, Sakura. You are a formidable shinobi. But Shisui can't be trusted to fight seriously against girls he thinks are attractive."

Sakura's cheeks flamed red.

"You're joking, right?"

Itachi grinned wryly.

"No. It's a bad habit of his."

"That's not what I - ugh!"

Sakura threw her hands up in exasperation and Itachi smiled as he watched her pace quickly around the clearing.

"Sakura," Itachi said slowly. "Do you perhaps think of Shisui in a romantic sense?"

Sakura froze and turned to glare at Itachi.

"No," she said through gritted teeth, tossing her head high and proud. "He's just…" Her head dropped and she spoke quickly like she was embarrassed, "Incredibly good-looking and attractive in all possible ways."

Itachi let out a low chuckle.

"I hear that is the opinion of the majority of people in Konoha, and Shisui uses it to his own advantage often."

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Of course he does," she said with some amusement. "Don't forget about you, Itachi. And Sasuke. All you Uchiha are annoyingly good-looking. Even your dad. I can tell he was a looker, back in the day," she teased.

Itachi huffed in annoyance.

"That is an assessment that I didn't need to know," he said. He eyed the giggling Sakura. "Is Shisui the only one that makes you blush then?" He asked, not sure why he was asking that specific question.

Sakura stopped her laughter immediately and frowned suspiciously at him.

"Sasuke's like.. a brother," she said after a moment.

"Are you not supposed to be in love with him?" Itachi asked, clearly remembering years of her declaring undying love and devotion to Sasuke. He didn't miss that she said nothing about him.

Sakura scoffed, turning away with embarrassment.

"Maybe that was before he tried to kill me," she said. "My romantic feelings towards him lessened slightly after that. I do love him, I just don't want to marry him anymore. Anyway, puppy love dies out eventually."

"I can imagine any feelings he had for you might have died out as well, after you tried to kill him," Itachi observed.

Sakura didn't reply, and Itachi wondered if he had gone too far. If he was honest, he didn't know how Sasuke felt about Sakura at all. Once, he knew, that Sasuke considered her, Naruto and Kakashi the closest to him. Sasuke had liked that Sakura fawned over him, but he'd never shown that to her, just in case it fuelled her fantasies. Itachi remembered teasing him about her, and laughing quietly to himself when Sasuke stormed off in a huff, the tips of his ears burning pink. Whether or not Sasuke was just feeding his own ego with Sakura, as children and young teens are prone to do, Itachi didn't know.

"Come on," Sakura said eventually. Her voice held little of the enthusiasm it did before, and Itachi felt a sliver of guilt for being the cause of it. "We should get going."

He nodded in response, and without another word to each other, they took to the trees.

* * *

In the year before the war, Kakashi and Tsunade had organised for Sakura to train in advanced genjutsu techniques with Itachi. It was one of the most difficult experiences that she had ever gone through. Her goal was to learn to identify and break his genjutsu, and the training was never straightforward. She found herself under a genjutsu while shopping for food, walking the streets with Ino, training with Naruto and Kakashi. She imagined that Itachi, although very serious about their training, was also having fun entertaining himself with it.

Despite her resistance to genjutsu, Sakura often had trouble breaking out of something Itachi would cast. He was truly a master of the skill, which only served to make Sakura almost constantly paranoid, questioning whether she was walking through reality or not. As time went on, he changed only the smallest of things, like the colours of the flowers or rearranged the order of her books. Sakura's observational skills and her genjutsu perception skills greatly improved, and quickly. She could now recognise even the most minute shifts of reality and felt truly guilty for the six sleeping shinobi who had fallen in front of her and Itachi, completely under the influence of Itachi's genjutsu.

In her closeness to Itachi, she had almost forgotten that just one look into his eyes was enough for him to defeat any opponent. No wonder he had been listed in the Bingo Book since he was a kid, with the warning to flee and not engage him.

"They'll be out for another hour or so," Itachi told her. "We should keep moving."

Sakura nodded. If she were alone, or without Itachi, the confrontation might have ended a lot differently. It was the first time they'd come across other people in their almost three weeks of traveling. The closer they came to the mountain, the less Itachi relied on his crows, opting to save some of his chakra. If she was being honest with herself, Sakura was bored with the lack of confrontation. She and Itachi had only lightly engaged in sparring since their break in the woods after she'd collapsed. Both of them choosing to preserve their strength while they traveled. Of course, Sakura's spars tended to be as destructive as a real battle, so their 'light' taijutsu spars were little more than just going through the motions. Ducking and dodging at half their strengths, just to keep limber, active and sharp.

Leaving behind the shinobi, Sakura and Itachi continued on their journey towards the twin mountain peaks. She didn't recognise the landmarks, and Itachi surmised they were probably destroyed during a battle before their time. Vaguely, Sakura wondered who the battle could have been between since it was too far away from the Valley of the End to be the place of Madara and Hashirama's battle. She had no idea who else would be strong enough to destroy mountains.

"There were three wars before you were born, Sakura," Itachi reminded her when she mused her thoughts aloud. "War is nothing but destruction."

Sakura pursed her lips in agreement. From her memories of the war, forests were burned and destroyed, craters formed, mountains broken. The landscape was easily and dramatically changed during a shinobi war.

They continued on until nightfall when Sakura's stomach gave way to an embarrassingly loud growl of hunger.

They feasted on a modestly sized rabbit Itachi had snared, and Sakura finally voiced her complaints about how restless and bored of traveling she was.

It earned her a faintly amused smirk from Itachi.

"If we push ourselves, we could arrive by the evening tomorrow," Itachi said.

Sakura sighed.

"I know. But you're so quiet, Itachi! I'm not used to it."

He raised his eyebrow quizzically.

"We are shinobi, our lives depend on our ability to be silent."

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Maybe for you, but have you ever met my team?"

"Ah." Understanding crossed Itachi's features. "Naruto."

"It's not just him. You'd be surprised. Kakashi, Yamato and Sai were all ANBU, but when they get going…" Sakura trailed off, thinking, a soft smile on her face. "You know, it's all probably because of Naruto though. He's the loudest ninja on the planet. He never does what he's supposed to, always forging ahead and doing whatever he wants," Sakura shook her head, but her voice was filled with fondness. "He's lucky he powerful enough to get away with it most of the time."

"He would never be considered for ANBU," Itachi replied.

Sakura laughed lightly.

"I would think not. He's terrible at following orders. He'd always be questioning them. I don't think the missions ANBU take are suited to his personality." Sakura saw a dark look cross Itachi's face and frowned. "Do you like ANBU?" She asked hesitantly.

He looked at her with surprise, like he hadn't expected the question. Sakura watched as he hesitated to give her an answer. She bit her lip and was about to tell him that he didn't need to tell her anything, but he spoke before she could.

"It is challenging, in many ways," Itachi said. There was a heaviness to the say he spoke that made Sakura feel a pang of sadness for him. "I have learned many valuable lessons. It is not an assignment to take lightly."

Sakura frowned at his evasiveness.

"That wasn't really an answer. We're not even in our own time, ANBU hasn't been invented yet. You wouldn't be breaking any rules by talking truthfully about it."

Itachi's mouth twisted into something that could have been either a smirk or grimace, and his eyes seemed darker than normal. This wasn't a pleasant topic of discussion for him, and he didn't respond to her.

Sakura hugged her knees to her chest, placing her chin on them. She looked at the fire. She wanted to know more about Itachi. She knew him enough to call him a friend, but so much of him was still kept hidden. There was always a line between them she didn't want to cross in case she lost his trust and friendship. Shisui was the only one Itachi didn't keep at arm's length, and it made Sakura a little sad that Itachi didn't have more people standing beside him, like she had, with her own friends. She felt a small amount of courage gather within her. Now, here in this place, they only had each other. Even if it was awkward or strained, eventually they would be all right again, at least until they figured out what they needed to do. She took a breath and leaped.

"Being the apprentice to the Hokage meant I had access to a lot of information. I learned and overheard things that someone of my rank really had no business knowing. But if Lady Tsunade didn't want me to know, it would have been harder to find out anything. I think she might have been grooming me for an advisory role in the future." She glanced at Itachi, who was looking at her with some interest now. His expression seemed to lighten slightly.

"I'd always been curious about Kakashi Hatake. Since before he was our teacher. My father used to tell me stories about him. But meeting him just made me more curious and his mastery of evasive answers added to that curiosity, plus he has - had a Sharingan and he's not an Uchiha. So I looked at his file once when Lady Tsunade had it out, and she went out of the office for a while," she admitted to the surprised Itachi. "She wasn't angry when she found out, I think she let me see it on purpose, to help me understand how I could help my team. Most of it was blacked out and classified anyway. It was the biggest file on a single shinobi I've ever seen." She smiled sadly at the memory. "He took so many missions with ANBU. So many that I think he was trying to find one that killed him. I read a note in his file that mentioned Lord Third, Lord Fourth,  _and_  his classmates were concerned that ANBU was slowly destroying everything human in him." She felt tears prick at her eyes. "I've never known the pain of everyone I loved dying. He lost his father, his friends, his teacher. It's no wonder so many of the people in the village were terrified of him. But I'm glad that he found himself again with us, even though it hasn't been easy."

She wiped away the tears and cleared her throat before looking back at Itachi.

"You don't need to tell me how you feel about ANBU, Itachi. I know you're conflicted. I know who you are."

In the firelight, Sakura saw Itachi's expression change from interest to an intensity that she'd never seen before. She couldn't read his face. It made her stomach flip. She released her legs and sat cross-legged.

"Who am I?" He asked her.

His voice so low she could barely hear it.

Sakura looked Itachi in the eyes and felt like a wall was being stripped down between them. The line was being crossed. Something in her and in his dark gaze compelled her to speak and lay bare her innermost thoughts. She swallowed, but her courage didn't falter.

"You are Itachi Uchiha," Sakura said simply. "Your cool exterior hides the Will of Fire blazing within you. You love your family but your sense of loyalty and duty to your village takes precedence over anything else. I think if you had the choice, you might like to live the kind of life where you could eat dango by the lake and observe the world around you in peace."

Her words faded into silence and Sakura found that she was unable to look away from Itachi. His eyes had frozen her to the spot, and he looked at her like he was trying to see into her soul. No one had ever looked at her with the intensity that he was looking at her with and she shivered slightly, as a new and unknown feeling rose inside her. Sakura was afraid to move in case the moment was broken.

The fragile moment shattered when the snap of a twig alerted them to intruders. They both leaped to their feet, tense and alert. Sakura told herself that her heart was pounding with a sudden shock. Itachi moved quickly to stand beside her. A flash of red and Sakura knew he had activated his Sharingan.

"Be at peace, young ones. I mean you no harm."

The voice came from the darkness of the trees and was recognizably the voice of an elderly man. Neither Itachi or Sakura let their guards down, their training forbid it. Good ninja never judged someone by their appearance alone, and Kakashi always emphasised how important it was to look underneath the underneath.

He stepped into the dim firelight and Sakura took in his appearance. He was as old as his gravelly and wavering voice indicated. His head was shaved, but his beard was long and white. He used a cane to walk, and Sakura saw his hands were so thin the skin seemed stretched around his bones. With a more critical eye, she looked over his robes, feeling a sense of familiarity at them. He wore a simple white kimono, with six black magatamas around the collar.

"Who are you?" Sakura demanded. "Why have you come here?"

He smiled kindly at her.

"My name is Tenji," he said. "I have come to lead you onwards on your journey."

Sakura cast a glance at Itachi.

"You wear a kimono reminiscent of the Sage of Six Paths," Itachi observed, and Sakura felt the knowledge click into place. That was why it looked familiar, it had been similar to what she'd seen during the war. "What do you know of our journey?"

Tenji's head bowed slightly in acknowledgment.

"You are quite right, young Uchiha," he replied. "I am the last of the disciples who follow the practice of Ninshu, the original teachings of the Sage of Six Paths, and I have come to you at His request."


	7. Part Three: Revelations

 

**Part Three: Revelations**

**Chapter Seven**

Itachi fought between his survival instincts as a shinobi and his human instincts as he tried to appraise the old man who called himself Tenji. He felt no ill intent from the man who stood and allowed himself to be studied. Doubt flickered across Itachi's mind. Who they were, where they were, it would have been close to impossible for anyone who hadn't been following them to know exactly where to find them. Reason told him Tenji was telling the truth. His training told him to stay alert.

Tenji stood patiently before them, seemingly aware that he was being scrutinised by the two. Itachi glanced at Sakura, who seemed surprised and defensive, and then back at Tenji. He observed the walking stick, and the slight shake in the old man's hand and made a decision.

"Would you care to share our fire this evening?" Itachi offered.

Tenji smiled kindly at him.

"Thank you. I am weary from my travel today."

"Itachi, what are you doing?" Sakura asked, her quiet voice filled with question and warning.

Itachi gave her a look, and she sighed. Her eyes spoke for: _you better know what you're doing_. Itachi turned his attention back to Tenji, who had lowered himself to the ground and sat across the fire from them, cross-legged with his cane across his knees.

"I understand your hesitation and reluctance to trust me," Tenji said. "Be that as it may, I assure you that I mean you no harm."

Itachi lowered himself to the ground, and Sakura followed after a moment's hesitation.

"Our pardons, Tenji," Itachi said politely. "There have been complications in our lives recently that have made us wary of strangers."

Tenji inclined his head in understanding.

"Of course. Might I be allowed to put your minds at ease?"

"Please," Itachi replied.

"What's Ninshu?" Sakura interrupted. "Sorry, I just don't understand. I've never heard of it. Didn't the Sage of Six Paths give us Ninjutsu?"

"A common misconception," Tenji answered her. "I shall start at the very beginning. A millennia ago in the Land of Ancestors, Hagoromo Otsutsuki and his brother Hamura fought a terrifying and world-changing battle against their mother and the ten-tails, Kaguya Otsutsuki."

Sakura and Itachi glanced at one another, and Sakura bit her lip to hide a small smile.

"They were victorious in sealing her away, but the world suffered greatly as a result of their battle. Hagoromo traveled across the world in a journey of repentance and along the way, he gathered followers to him. Ninshu was what he called his teachings. It is a tradition of peace and meant for its followers to understand the mysteries of chakra, and in turn, to better understand themselves and others. It was only later that what we know as ninjutsu was created."

Tenji paused and Itachi and Sakura, both drawn in with interest, waited patiently for him to continue.

"Ninshu teaches us that chakra is the force that connects all things." He looked levelly at them. "Connecting life and death, and even across time."

Itachi didn't react to his comment. He'd been expecting something like it. Sakura, however, went stiff and sat up straighter.

Tenji gave her a soft smile, his eyes closed thoughtfully.

"I am very old, young ones, I never imagined I'd live for so long. The Sage of Six Paths wished for this world to be peaceful, but war has eroded his ideals for so many years." Tenji gave a heavy sigh. "The seeking of power for power's sake is a corruptive force. But the truth of chakra can never be lost: chakra connects all of us."

"What did you mean when you said you were sent by the Sage of Six Paths to find us?" Itachi asked him.

"It is as I said," Tenji replied. "Two days ago during my meditations, I was granted a gift: the Sage of Six Paths appeared to me."

Tenji paused and looked at the two of them, who were waiting patiently. On the inside, Itachi's body was screaming at the man to stop with the suspense, but he sat still and poised and seemingly patiently.

"We did not speak long, you must understand. He told me only this: _'this world is on the cusp of great change, and there are two who have appeared in this time who will bring it. You must bring them here, to this place, so they can speak with the ones who sent them through time.'_ He sent me an image, of this place, so that I might find you and I left that very afternoon."

Itachi gave a small nod to him and looked over at Sakura, who was frowning and looking at the grass in front of her.

"The ones who sent us," she murmured. "Do you think he means - "

Tenji coughed and Sakura cut her sentence off.

"I believe, young one, that we should speak no more of this until we reach a safer place," he said, his voice harder than before. "I told you what you needed, to know that I am here only to guide you. But you must be wary of the ears hidden in the forest."

Sakura opened her mouth to talk and then closed it again. Itachi's brown settled on a frown, and he gave Tenji another nod.

"Rest, Tenji," Itachi said gently. "We shall leave in the early hours of the morn."

"Thank you, young Uchiha," Tenji replied, and he lay down.

"How does he know you're an Uchiha," Sakura whispered to Itachi. "He keeps calling you 'young Uchiha.' But he doesn't say anything to me."

Itachi shrugged.

"I expect your pink hair gives pause to anyone who might think you were an Uchiha," he said lightly. "However, I suspect my own heritage is easily assumed."

Sakura grimaced and shrugged.

"I'll take first watch," she offered.

Itachi accepted, lay on his back and folded his hands behind his head, considering what Tenji had meant by 'ears hidden in the forest.'

* * *

Madara had been wrong about the location of the temple being between the mountains. It was inside the mountains. Itachi had carried Tenji on his back as they returned to the man's home of seventy years, and Tenji had been a surprisingly gleeful and exuberant companion on the trip.

He seemed to have recovered whatever strength he had spent on the journey to them while he slept, and Sakura soon discovered that Tenji was rather cheeky and almost child-like in nature. It was easy for her to forget her original suspicion and mistrust of him, and find herself laughing at his sly banter. Itachi appeared to be a favourite target of his, and Tenji seemed to want to draw out all the emotion from her usually controlled friend.

Sakura, of course, aided Tenji in his mission as they traveled. She told Tenji some stories about Itachi from the last few years when she had witnessed something seemingly out of character, or embarrassing occur. She delighted in revealing some of the tales that Shishui had regaled her with, about Itachi's childhood exploits and how 'adorable' the young Itachi had apparently been.

Itachi had thrown her many glares, so many she thought he would seriously put her in a Tsukuyomi if she kept up her story-telling. But it didn't matter as Tenji apparently had all the ammunition that he needed to tease Itachi himself now.

But he was silent and oddly serious the moment they stepped from the canopy of trees and saw the entrance to the temple. It wasn't something special or obvious, it was only a cave-opening at the base of a great mountain. But Sakura could sense something special laid within, and she realised, it was probably sealed.

Tenji tapped Itachi's shoulder, and Itachi lowered himself so that the man could slide off his back and walk to the cave. Sakura and Itachi hung back and waited. Tenji made a sign, but they couldn't see what it was before he turned to them and said, "Come."

Sakura and Itachi nodded and entered the mouth of the cave, and Tenji sealed the entrance again behind him, peering into the distance they had come from as if he were looking for something. Sakura frowned and looked as well, but she didn't see or sense anything. Perhaps the old man was just paranoid. She really hoped so anyway.

Dim and dying torches lined the wall of the dry, barely illuminating their passage further into the mountain. Their footfalls echoed with each step, and the air began to smell dank and stale. Sakura crinkled her nose, hoping the main area that Tenji resided in wasn't like this, otherwise she wasn't sure how the old man had managed to live so long without getting ill.

"Tenji," Sakura spoke quietly but her voice echoed. "What exactly is so special about this place?"

Tenji was quiet for so long Sakura thought he wasn't going to answer her.

"Once, there were many places out under the sky like this one. But they were lost over time as ninjutsu spread and the followers of Ninshu died out. This is the last temple of Ninshu, where the connections of chakra are the strongest, and the reason I have brought you here."

Tenji stopped talking as they reached the end of the long passageway. Sakura's breath was taken away.

Before them was an enormous cavern. The rock walls of the mountain were rounded and smooth, and from high above, there was sunlight filtering from some open place that shone light on the amazing scenery before them. A temple stood in the center, surrounded by grass, trees and even a spring.

"It looks as though someone plucked it from outside and transported it here," Sakura breathed.

Tenji laughed.

"That is exactly what happened." His voice took on a darker tone. "Some things must be protected."

She saw Itachi look at Tenji, an almost unnoticeable look of concern on his face.

"Someone very powerful must have done this," Itachi observed, changing the topic.

Tenji waved his hand dismissively, chuckling.

"Oh, you know those Uzumaki. Always doing the most extraordinary things."

Sakura's eyes bulged and she looked at Itachi, who looked equally surprised. Tenji descended down the rock-carved stairs towards the temple. Itachi followed him, and Sakura followed Itachi.

"The Uzumaki must have been pretty incredible, huh?" Sakura whispered to him. She only knew one Uzumaki, and he was as incredible an idiot as he was an incredible shinobi.

"They were known for their incredibly strong life-force and mastery of fuinjutsu," Itachi replied with a shrug. "They were so feared that their village was destroyed and its citizens scattered across the world."

Sakura blinked in surprise. Surely they must have taught her that at the academy? She couldn't recall, and she wasn't going to voice her ignorance to Itachi, who knew almost everything. But it certainly explained a lot about Naruto; an incredibly strong life-force definitely rang a bell. Sakura grinned, but it slowly dropped in sadness and longing. She eyed the temple. Maybe here, she and Itachi would finally get answers on how to get home.

At the base of the bridge was a narrow, unadorned rock bridge that ended at the edge of the grassy the temple grounds. The trio crossed it easily, it only spanned a few feet, and Sakura refused to look down. She'd caught a glimpse of an unending black abyss below them. She didn't care to stare down into it unless she really had to. Instead, she looked at the temple and little garden and the foliage and trees and found herself amazed at how alive everything seemed, despite being inside a mountain.

"It's beautiful," she remarked with some awe.

The moment Sakura set both her feet onto the rock, she felt a pulse of power in her body. Her breath caught at the sensation and she staggered forward a step. Itachi was as affected by it as she was. Sakura gasped and looked up at Tenji, who was looking at them both with some curiosity.

"That felt familiar," Itachi murmured.

Sakura swallowed and stood tall again. It did feel familiar, it felt the same as that moment of pulsing power she had felt at the end of the war before she and Itachi had been taken away.

Tenji stood before them with both hands resting on his walking cane.

"This is a place we may speak freely, without fear of interruption or the wrong ears hearing us."

Tenji awaited their questions.

"What do you know about the sons of the Sage of Six Paths?" Itachi asked Tenji.

Tenji let out a sigh.

"A sad tale of power, jealousy, and rivalry," Tenji said. "It was said that the Sage of Six Paths set both his sons out in the world to resolve the same problem affecting different people. The brother he deemed the most successful would be named his successor." Tenji paused, his brow crinkled in remembrance. "The eldest son was a prodigal child. He is the one who invented what you know as ninjutsu today. He was expected to be the successor over his younger brother, who though was a good natured child, wasn't as skilled as his brother."

Sakura frowned, recognizing the similarities to Sasuke and Naruto.

"The elder returned first, and the younger much later. Upon his return, it was clear he had grown as a person and in his skills and power and the Sage of Six Paths named his second son as his successor, and the elder son left the clan, walking through the world alone, while his younger brother gathered followers to him."

Sakura turned to see what Itachi thought. His face was void of expression, much to Sakura's disappointment. It was like Tenji was describing Sasuke and Naruto, and Sakura swallowed, coming to the understanding that whatever Asura and Indra had brought her and Itachi to the past for was something more than she'd ever imagined.

A silence stretched between the three of them and Sakura looked behind Tenji at the temple. She glanced at Itachi, who seemed content to remain silent.

"Inside the temple, you will meet who you desire to see," Tenji said, breaking Sakura's attention from Itachi. "The preparations have been made."

Sakura frowned. She opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but Itachi put a hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him and saw that he was looking at her with an expression she'd never seen on him before. Worry and fear. He was afraid. The realisation hit Sakura in the gut. Itachi had always been someone she knew would have an answer, would be there for her. Now, no matter what happened, no matter what they found inside the temple, _no matter what_ , she was going to be his strength. She never wanted to see him look at her like this again. She felt strength rush through her. She gave him a nod and a steely smile.

"We'll talk to… them, in there, right?" She asked.

He gave a nod. He wiped his expression, the fear was gone, but his hand lingered on her shoulder before it dropped. Sakura let out a breath and looked back to Tenji.

"Thank you, Tenji," she said.

He lowered to the ground and took up a position of meditation. Sakura reached to Itachi and took his hand without looking at his face. She could feel his eyes turn to her, but she stared ahead at the temple. She squeezed his hand, and after a moment he squeezed her hand back. She didn't let go. This contact, the comfort of it, she needed it as well. They walked across the grass, and Sakura's heart constricted in her chest. She didn't know what to expect, but if Itachi was here, she could handle it. She _would_ handle it.

They walked into the temple, and everything faded into black.

The world around them became a space, a vast blackness without an end in sight. It gave Sakura chills, remembering the many time-spaces of Kaguya.

She didn't realise she was squeezing Itachi's hand until she heard a little hiss of pain escape his lips and she let go immediately.

"I'm so sorry," she apologised.

Itachi flexed his hand and gave her a wry smile.

"It's fine," he said, looking around. "We have company."

He tilted his head to indicate the presence of two new lifeforms.

Sakura looked and saw two small flickering fires of orange and purple. It was chakra, she realised. The bodies the chakra belonged to slowly faded into view around it, becoming more solid as they watched.

They were both graced with brown hair of varying lengths, and Sakura was struck with how familiar the two seemed in their presence. Everywhere she went, everything she heard, it all went back to her teammates and friends.

The person who belonged to the orange chakra was a man with spiky brown hair and a thick white headband. The purple chakra belonged to a man who was very clearly related to the Uchiha. His hair was long, his eyes dark and reminiscent of Itachi and Sasuke's, with purple paint underneath them. Like his brother, on each side of his head was short, wrapped hair in the white cloth.

Indra and Asura Otsutsuki.

Sakura stared at them, suddenly feeling a barrage of questions that wanted to fly from her mouth at them. She held her clenched fists at her side, barely noticing she had started to shake.

Her eyes flickered to Asura, and he gave her a soft smile.

"Sakura," he said her name softly, his voice happy.

Sakura blinked, her shaking ceased.

"H-hi," she stammered uncertainly.

The brothers stood before them, fully formed now and Sakura didn't know what to say or do.

For a moment there was silence, as they each regarded each other carefully.

Asura cleared his throat and looked at his brother.

"It's been a while since I've seen you, brother."

Indra nodded, slowly turning to look at Asura.

"Asura," he said in greeting, looking his brother up and down.

Asura frowned and gave Indra a playfully too-hard clap on his shoulder.

"Lighten up, Indra. We're dead already, you know?"

Indra raised an eyebrow at Asura.

"Well observed," he commented dryly. "Putting your big head to use, I see."

Asura made a face.

"Why do you always have to be so difficult? Haven't we put our differences aside now?"

His tone was a little pleaded, making Sakura wonder how much he needed the verbal confirmation.

Indra paused.

"We have." He looked over at Asura and smirked. "But you're still my foolish little brother."

Asura stared at him for a moment before he broke out in a blinding smile, and Indra's smirk widened almost imperceptibly.

Itachi cleared his throat.

"As nice an experience as this might be for you, we have some questions," he said flatly and unimpressed.

Asura and Indra both looked over at him and Sakura. Asura's smile faded and his face became set in a more serious expression. Sakura glanced at Itachi and saw that he was staring blankly at Indra, who returned his look evenly.

"Where are we?" Sakura asked nervously, breaking the growing tension between the two.

Asura rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully.

"Well…"

Sakura waited, but he never finished. Indra gave an impatient sigh.

"We are on a plane of existence between the world of the living and the Pure Lands. A chakra plane," he explained swiftly. "It is the only place we can communicate like this."

"What he said," Asura grinned sheepishly, pointing a thumb at his brother.

He caught Sakura's eye and winked. She swallowed the growing lump in her throat and forced a small smile on her face. She saw a flash of concern in his eyes and averted her own.

"I believe it would be best for you to tell us why you have ripped us away from our lives and into the past," Itachi said, his voice dark with anger.

Sakura whipped her head to stare wide-eyed at him. She hadn't heard him use such strong language in a long time. He was angrier than she'd thought. He was glaring at the brothers.

There was a moment of silence before Asura spoke.

"We want - "

"I will explain," Indra cut him off. "After all, it was through my own misguided thoughts and actions that the world has been shaped the way it is."

"We are both to blame," Asura interjected passionately.

"No," Indra said firmly. "I was wrong. I allowed my own ambitions and ego to cloud my judgment, and forget the lessons from our father. However," he looked at Itachi and Sakura with a new seriousness. "It was not until the battle against our Grandmother and her… Zetsu - " he spat the name with disgust " - that I truly understood. Sasuke Uchiha was able to break the… curse of my will because of the undeniable bonds he held within his heart with his friends and family. For that," he bowed his head slightly to Itachi and Sakura, "I am truly grateful."

"You haven't explained anything that we couldn't have already guessed," Sakura said. "And you haven't answered Itachi's question either."

"I am not finished," Indra replied coolly.

Sakura folded her arms over her chest and waited, portraying impatience, whilst Itachi stood statue-still.

"We… It is my wish, and reason for your presence in this time that you might prevent the future revival of my grandmother. Knowing what I do now, about the true nature of my own foolishness, it all might have been prevented if Madara was allowed to be free."

A heavy silence settled over the four of them.

"You want us to fix your mistakes?" Sakura asked quietly.

She looked at Indra and Asura, who both returned level and unreadable looks. She felt something snap within her.

"It was finished!" She cried. "We sealed Kaguya. Sasuke was finally coming home to us! Why would you take us away from that!?"

"It should never have gotten that far," Indra replied quietly.

"You shouldn't have been so easily manipulated by Zetsu!" Sakura yelled. "Everything…  _Everything - a_ ll the pain and the war and death! It's your fault! Yours!"

Indra flinched away from her words, and Asura took a step to move in front of Sakura, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. She snapped her glare to him.

"Naruto may have been your reincarnation, but he's better than you! He would never have done something like this. Never."

Her voice was dangerously low and angry, her body trembled with the anger and confusion and sadness she'd been repressing for weeks.

"Sakura."

Itachi's quiet voice cut through her mind, drawing her attention. She shrugged off Asura's hand, and he stepped back. A look of guilt and hurt on his face, but she couldn't find it in herself to care.

"Enough," Itachi said.

She grit her teeth and stayed quiet, though she was bursting to punch and kick and let loose on the brothers.

"What did you mean, Sakura, about Zetsu's manipulation?" Itachi asked her.

Sakura sniffed, and looked at him, furrowing her brow.

"Black Zetsu… Naruto said something about Black Zetsu…that he was the one who'd been manipulating the reincarnations of Indra over the centuries, trying to awaken the Rinnegan." She flashed her eyes to Indra. "I just assumed he'd been manipulated too."

Itachi looked thoughtful. Indra let out a small sigh.

"You are right, Sakura Haruno."

Even Asura looked at him with some surprise.

Sakura looked over at him with narrowed eyes.

"In my youth, I was visited by a dark creature, who fed me praise and used his words to twist my views on my father, my brother, my own self. I believed I was superior, that I could carry the burdens of the world alone." He looked at Asura. "It seems I was wrong, about many things."

"Took you long enough to figure it out," Asura said, his voice serious but with a light tone of teasing mixed within.

"So what exactly do you want us to do?" Sakura asked with irritation, interrupting their moment. "Why are we here? Madara isn't the same as Sasuke. The cycle of hatred or whatever isn't broken in him."

Asura shook his head.

"You keep forgetting something, Sakura," he said. "Chakra connects everything. Indra's will has been broken in your time, and our combined strength has brought you from that time into this time. Your presence in this time period is already changing things."

Sakura furrowed her brow.

"So Madara's… not going to go crazy?"

She couldn't help but feel a spark of hope. Maybe the war could be avoided after all. If Madara doesn't battle Hashirama and they become friends… it could change everything.

"Under the right circumstances, there's a possibility, I guess?"

Asura looked to Indra for confirmation who gave a small nod. Sakura looked at Itachi, who was looking at Indra's feet.

"Itachi?"

She tentatively called for his attention. He didn't respond to her.

"Why us?" He asked suddenly, looking up with at the brothers with intensity. "Why Sakura and myself?"

"Your bonds," Indra replied.

"You didn't just bond with Naruto and Sasuke. You bonded with us," Asura motioned between himself and Indra. "You bonded on a level so deep that we felt it."

Sakura felt shocked at the revelation.

"Unlike Naruto, Hashirama Senju has his brother and clan surrounding him. But, he doesn't have someone like you, Sakura," Asura said.

"Nor does Madara," Indra said, looking at Sakura. "They do not have a bridge between them. Left to themselves without your support, and the knowledge you were there, perhaps Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki may have found themselves in very different circumstances. There is only so much one can do alone."

Sakura didn't know what to say. It was maybe the greatest and hardest compliment she'd ever received. Her pride was deflated as quickly as it arose.

"And you, Itachi Uchiha," Indra continued. "Madara does not have someone who understands him completely. His brother, although very close to his heart, does not comprehend Madara. Your character, and the… Will of Asura that runs in your veins, is necessary to help him keep the true and righteous course."

"So you want us to be friends with them?" Sakura asked flatly. "You stole our lives to make us be friends with them?" Her voice edged into incredulity.

Asura gave a small, regretful chuckle.

"Yes, but also, no. There is a task much greater and more dangerous we request of you two."

Sakura felt apprehension seize her.

"What is it?"

 _"Zetsu,"_  Indra said, his voice venomous. "His poison must be stopped from spreading before it is too late for Madara."

"You want us to kill him," Itachi stated.

"You cannot," Indra replied. "He must be sealed. Permanently."

"Will you take us back to our time when we are finished?" Sakura asked.

All three of them looked at her, and a pained expression crossed the faces of both Asura and Indra. Sakura felt her stomach drop. She remembered how Itachi avoided answering her questions about home directly. How he looked at her when she brought it up. The realisation hit her like a chakra-filled punch to her heart.

"We're not going home."

Her voice was little more than a wisp of air.

"The future you came from has changed. Even since you arrived, it is distorted and the past you know doesn't exist the same. It is possible…" Indra trailed off, looking away.

Sakura stalked right in front of him, reached up and tugged his chin to look directly at her tear-filled eyes.

"You look at me when you tell me," she hissed through gritted teeth. "What's possible?" She demanded.

He looked her directly and unflinchingly in her eyes.

"It is possible your life and your friend's lives will no longer exist."

Sakura stared at him for a moment. His eyes reminded her so much of Sasuke, she felt her chest start to burn and hollow out. Tears slipped out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She jerkily released his chin and looked away.

"Sakura," Asura reached out for her, but she slapped his hand away.

"It will be done," Itachi said, emotionlessly.

Sakura raised her chin and sniffed. She wanted to deny it. She wanted to scream that it wouldn't be. But she couldn't, she knew she could never live with herself if she didn't at least try, try for a better future when she had the chance.

"It won't be done for _you,"_ she said instead. "Remember that. It won't be done for you. Maybe you say we bonded with the two of you," she looked over at them. "But in my heart, I do this for Naruto and for Sasuke. _They_ are my brothers, and you are _not_ them."

Sakura walked away from them, forgetting they were stuck in a different place, into the blackness that surrounded them.

"We will be watching over you, Sakura and Itachi," Asura called to her.

"I am sorry."

Indra's voice faded away, so quiet she almost didn't hear it. Sakura stopped to snap that she didn't want his apologies, but saw that they were suddenly standing inside the temple again.

She turned to look at Itachi, who was staring solemnly ahead. Her fingertips reached out to brush his arm, and in a quick move, he pulled her into a tight embrace and Sakura cried into his shirt.

It was just the two of them now. She had never felt more alone.


	8. Part Three: Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some answers and explanations:  
> yes, this is not a multiverse. it's a single timeline. there are severe repercussions to messing with it.
> 
> also, i think Itachi is fun to write. his speech is more relaxed with Sakura, but turns more formal with other people.  
> my apologies if anything in this chapter feels rushed. it is not intended to be, but the plot must keep moving forward.

 

**Part Three: Revelations**

**Chapter Eight**

Itachi held Sakura in his arms as she sobbed. Her cries echoed in the small temple they stood within and sank into his own heart, which felt heavy with the new knowledge they had both learned. His suspicions had been confirmed: their life, their home, everything they knew was gone. Without conscious thought, his hands tightened into fists and he pulled Sakura closer to him in his anger.

Itachi had always been praised for his clear thinking and ability to understand the bigger picture. He was highly respected, even as a young as seven, for that rare personality trait. In his rational mind, he completely understood the reasons and logic behind the thinking of Asura and Indra. He knew that if he and Sakura were successful, the future could become something remarkable. His clan, in particular, might live a brighter future. An entire war could be avoided. Thousands of peoples lives could be saved and changed for the better.

But he had never felt anger like he was feeling. Sakura's outburst at the brothers had reminded him of exactly what he was going to be missing. His family had been fractured since Sasuke left, and it had become even worse after what happened to his mother. But Sasuke would have come home after the war and Itachi's fractured life could have started to become whole again.

Now it was something that could never be.

He felt pressure on his arms and realised Sakura was trying to step out of his embrace. He quickly released her. Her face was turned away from him, and she wiped her eyes and sniffed. It had been over a year since Itachi had seen her cry so much. That time it had been after she went after Sasuke alone, and had returned to the village carrying so much guilt and shame in her that she had knelt before him and his father, begging their forgiveness for everything she had and hadn't done.

She didn't look at him or speak. Her sniffing stopped and her sobbing faded. Her silence was deafening in the small temple. Itachi stood still. Even if he wanted to move, he felt stuck. He was a mess of emotion and it was like a raging tornado inside him. He didn't know what to say to her, so he stayed quiet, part of him hoping that she would say something to him.

His eyes followed her as she walked out of the temple, her head down and face covering her hair. He stood alone in the dim light of the temple, staring at nothing. His rational mind tried to tell him that he needed to think, to plan, to focus on the mission.

For the first time in many years, his rational mind was silenced by emotion, and Itachi took some steps forward, lifted the small table by the wall and threw it across the temple. He watched numbly as it hit the wall. A large crashing sounded as it collided, and another thump as it fell to the floor. His ears rang with red noise.

* * *

Sakura closed her eyes as she heard something crash inside the temple. Another time, another place, she would have run inside. But she was barely holding herself together, and seeing Itachi loose control would only make her completely fall apart. She just needed a little time, just a little time to face him and face what they had to do.

A sob caught in her throat, and she put her hand to it, feeling pain and constriction. Her breath started coming quicker, shallower, and she felt panic make her heart beat rapidly. She gasped, her eyes snapping open. She couldn't breathe. Her vision blurred and she stumbled forwards. Her foot caught on the temple steps, and she fell.

* * *

The ringing in Itachi's ears cleared when he faintly heard her gasping for air. He was at the door when he saw her stumble and watched as she fell, her body falling slack. In a quick movement, he caught her before she hit the ground.

"Sakura?"

He touched her face gently, new concern overriding his anger.

Sakura's eyes were closed, they were slightly puffy from crying. Her face was relaxed, her breathing was shallow. Some perspiration rolled from her forehead down the side of her face. She had passed out.

He laid her gently down on the grass.

"It would seem your meeting was not pleasant." Tenji appeared above Itachi.

Itachi scoffed lightly.

"Not particularly," he said quietly.

"Hmmm," Tenji hummed thoughtfully above them. "It seems she fainted."

Itachi looked up at him and sighed.

"You're not a very forthcoming man," he said.

Tenji gave him a grin.

"Of course I'm not, Dango."

Itachi cringed at hearing himself called 'Dango.' Tenji had decided to call him that after hearing some of the stories Sakura had relayed to him, stories Itachi would have preferred never been said aloud.

"I've lived a long time because I know how to keep secrets."

There was a glint in Tenji's eye that made Itachi suspect his words were truer than he would ever know. Itachi looked around them at the strange underground garden, a sense of hopelessness in his chest. Tenji rested an old-weathered hand lightly on Itachi's shoulder.

"There are many truths in this world of shinobi that are hard to accept, and even harder to act upon. The only way to live is to keep moving forward."

Tenji's voice was heavy, and when Itachi looked into his face he saw the face of a man who spoke from a place of knowledge and experience.

Itachi took a deep breath and looked down at Sakura. He needed to pull himself together, not for himself, but for her.

"Our reality is only what we perceive it to be," he murmured. "The lives we knew are now gone, and our duty will force us forwards into an uncertain and complex future."

Tenji was quiet and Itachi allowed himself a moment to feel a sense of calm as he looked at the unconscious Sakura.

"She is a very unique shinobi. Her strength comes from deep inside herself and is fuelled by compassion and love. What we learned and lost today will be difficult for her to overcome."

"And you, Itachi? Are you strong enough to overcome and do what needs to be done?" Tenji asked, his voice serious yet curious.

Itachi stood and looked him directly in the eyes.

"I have lived much of my life walking in shadows to protect my village, a village that does not yet exist. I  _ **will**_  protect the future."

"Alone?" Tenji raised an eyebrow.

Itachi felt a tug on his lips, something like a smile.

"Once I walked alone, and was dragged back into the light by two, no, three special people. I will never seek to bear everything alone because I will surely fail."

Tenji gave a slow smile and bowed his head in acknowledgment and approval.

"Well said, Dango," Tenji said lightly. "Let's bring Sakura inside and you can eat and rest, and have discussions about the future you plan to protect."

Itachi scooped Sakura into his arms and followed Tenji back inside the temple.

Inside, Tenji glanced at the table and the temple wall. Both were damaged.

"You'll be fixing that before you go, Dango."

* * *

Itachi had never once felt so strongly disappointed in himself for not paying more attention to medical ninjutsu than he did as he watched Sakura's lay unconscious for the third straight day. Tenji had assured him that she was simply exhausted, mentally and physically. The shock to her system was so much that she needed to rest and recover, but anxiety bit at Itachi every hour her eyes stayed closed. If she didn't wake up, he didn't know what he would do.

He'd been thinking about what Asura and Indra had said about them both, about why they were the ones chosen to be sent back to Hashirama and Madara's time. Indra said he had the "Will of Asura" running in his veins. At the time, he hadn't paid so much attention to it, but it was stuck in his brain now. Asura, Hashirama, Naruto. They were all characters of great strength and energy, their determination and the depth of their feelings made them push forwards against any opponent and barrier that stood in the way. The Will of Fire was the foundation that the Leaf was built upon, stemming from Hashirama's beliefs. Some nights ago, Sakura had told him that she saw the Will of Fire burning inside of Itachi, and then Indra had commented about his inherit Asura's Will. He wondered at the strange pride he felt in being compared to those three, that somehow he, an Uchiha born of Indra's lineage, had inherited that strong Will to protect and serve a purpose higher than himself and clan.

But it was what they said about Sakura that caused deeper anxiety in Itachi. A bridge, they called her. Support for both of them, between Naruto and Sasuke, and now, between Madara and Hashirama. If Sakura didn't awaken, Itachi knew he didn't have it in him to replace her, not in the way they would need it. He didn't carry the same compassion she did, and Itachi suspected, that it was because she was a female that she could bond in different ways than he could. She could provide comfort and support that he would never be able to.

He lay back on the grass, staring at the small gaps in the rock that let the sunlight trickle in, far above him. He had had time to think, to settle his mind and allow his negative feelings to fade away in favour of clarity.

In order to save the future, Itachi and Sakura needed to seal away Black Zetsu, and stop Madara from turning his back on Hashirama and the village. Zetsu would be, Itachi assumed, watching Madara. He wondered what Sakura's opinion would be, and how she would be when she finally woke up. How involved did she want to be with the Senju and Uchiha?

Itachi let out a small sigh. Whatever happened now, the future they knew was going to be very different. How much should they interfere, if at all, with the development of the Leaf? There were certainly things that Itachi disliked about the way it was run. Making any decision alone would be illogical, he decided. Sakura had as much right as he did to determine any changes. She was the apprentice to the Hokage, she also knew a lot about the village and its politics. In any case, Itachi knew they wouldn't be able to avoid either clan for long.

In the short space of time they'd be in this time, Sakura had been coveted by both clans for her healing abilities and her strength was a curiosity for them, and Itachi would need to deal with the Uchiha. From his clan's history, he remembered that both Madara and Izuna were the first to develop the Mangyeko Sharingan. In his time, only he, his father, Shisui, Sasuke and Obito and Kakashi had the Mangyeko Sharingan.

"What to do," he mused quietly to himself.

If he was honest, Itachi wanted to test his strength against the Madara of now, and Izuna, who was said to be his brothers equal. Although he doubted Sakura would approve of such an intense battle and the strain it would cause his eyes.

He chuckled quietly to himself. He could recall several times during her time studying under Lady Tsunade that she'd come to his family home in a ploy between his mother and the Hokage, to monitor his eyes. Sakura had endured the dinners where his mother had peppered her with a million questions, but as soon as Itachi tried to sneak away, she'd turn on him with her steely glare and admonish him in front of his parents - which greatly surprised his father at first. But with some stern words that reflected exactly who her master was, his father grew to respect the young shinobi. In the days of Sasuke's absence, it was often Sakura, and sometimes Shisui, who made his family dinners lively again and filled the unbearable silence caused by the absence of his brother.

Itachi felt a shift in Sakura's chakra and relief flooded him, stronger than he thought it would be. She was waking up. He pushed himself up from the grass and stood, walking into the temple and towards the futon Sakura lay on.

He sat beside her and waited. It took some minutes, but eventually, she blinked a few times and her eyes opened.

"Hello," he said quietly.

She turned her head slightly to him.

"Hey," she rasped.

He saw when she remembered what happened. Her eyes closed briefly, a sorrowful frown and downturn of her lips crossed her face.

She looked back at him again.

"Guess it's just the two of us, huh?"

Her voice was rough, but he heard the sadness and resignation in it. He gave her a small nod. She closed her eyes again and let out a long sigh.

"How long have I been out?" She asked a moment later.

"Three days," he replied.

Her eyes opened in shock and she sat up quickly.

"What?" she exclaimed. She put her hand to her head. "That explains why I feel so bad."

Itachi gave a small smile.

"I'll get some food and water, just rest."

Sakura gave him a grateful smile and lowered herself back onto the mattress. Itachi turned to stand, but saw Tenji in the doorway, a bowl of food in his hand and a sack of water in a strap over his shoulder. He walked over to Tenji and took the food and water from him.

"Thank you," he murmured.

Tenji walked over to Sakura and sat beside her. She sat up on the futon. Itachi passed her the bowl and she smiled gratefully at him.

"Don't rush," Itachi instructed her. "You haven't eaten for days, you'll get sick."

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"I thought I was the medic here," she muttered.

"Do as your told," Itachi ordered, a smile on his face.

He watched as Sakura purposefully took a large spoonful of the stew, keeping eye contact with him and ate it. Itachi kept his face from portraying how amusing he found it.

"You'll regret it," he warned her.

She shrugged and winked at Tenji, who smiled fondly at Sakura.

"Thank-you, Tenji," she said, after taking a spoon of the stew to her mouth. "This is delicious."

He granted her a smile as acceptance of her gratitude.

"I'm sure the two of you need to talk. You can find me under the trees if you need me," he stood shakily. "I'm glad you've awoken, Sakura. Dango has been worried sick," he said teasingly.

Itachi refused to show any embarrassment at his comment. Sakura raised her eyebrow at Itachi, amusement sparkling in her eyes.

"You're so sweet, Tachi," she grinned, teasingly.

Itachi rolled his eyes at that, and he heard Tenji retreat to the outside with a chuckle.

Sakura placed her half-eaten stew on the floor beside her bed and took a drink from the water. Quiet settled between them, with each unsure of how to bring up the topic. Itachi took the time to study Sakura's face. Her skin was a little paler than normal, and her cheeks a little more sunken. But that was expected after three days laying unconscious. He was more interested in her eyes. Though they were tired, he saw expression. A knot released in his stomach that he hadn't realised was there.

Sakura caught him staring and poked her tongue out at him. Itachi blinked once in surprise, and she laughed a little before it faded.

"I guess I should apologise for passing out on you again," Sakura said apologetically.

"It's becoming rather a hassle," Itachi said lightly.

"I think you need to reign in your sarcasm, Itachi. You might hurt yourself with your terrible jokes," Sakura said. She looked down at the hands, and then back at him. "So, we have some things to talk about, don't we?"

Itachi nodded in response.

"I need to know something, Sakura," he said seriously. She looked at him expectantly. "Are you capable of this?" She froze at the question. "Can you do what needs to be done, and put aside your own feelings, or will you break down and become a burden?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously close and she glowered, her green eyes darkening with rage.

"You - " her voice shook with anger, and Itachi felt her chakra flare with the intensity of her feelings. "If you ever ask me that question again, Itachi Uchiha, I will never forgive you and I will never speak to you again. When it is all said and done I will leave you here alone and you can live your life in misery and loneliness."

She reached out and gripped his collar, drawing his face close to hers.

"I am Sakura Haruno, the student of the Fifth Hokage, of Kakashi Hatake and a ninja of the Hidden Leaf. I worked my ass off to be able to stand beside Naruto and your brother, and I did it. _Never_ insult me like that again."

She released him roughly, and Itachi was satisfied with the fire in her eyes and the strength of her voice and forced himself to ignore the guilt he felt for asking in the first place. He needed to know.

"Good," he said, gratified.

Sakura mumbled something under her breath. He didn't hear it but assumed it was colourfully insulting language directed at himself.

"What do you think we should do?" He asked.

She gave him a tired look.

"I'm sure you've already come up with a plan, genius. Why don't you tell me and I'll tell you what I think."

"Our target is Black Zetsu. His is Madara. I don't believe he will stray too far from the Uchiha, he'll be waiting for the moment to creep into Madara's thoughts and manipulate him," Itachi said.

Sakura nodded.

"You think we need to go back to the Uchiha and Senju," she stated. He answered affirmatively. "So do I."

"Good. I think we should be very cautious about discussing any plans outside of a sealed area, like this," Itachi told her.

Sakura frowned.

"Why?"

"We do not want to risk Black Zetsu overhearing. Unfortunately, we will not be able to sense him. I couldn't even see him with my Sharingan in the war. We'll have no way to find him," he explained.

"That's going to make it easy for us to seal him," Sakura muttered sarcastically.

Itachi let out a sigh.

"I don't know the next time we'll be able to discuss this. It might be weeks until we can, so I'll tell you now: we may have to use Madara as bait for Zetsu."

"That's - "

"I know. It may be the only way. I have an idea of how to seal him, and perhaps, draw him out. However, the longer we spend time cultivating strong relationships with the Uchiha and Senju, the more knowledge we might acquire that we didn't know or have access to in our own time. Tobirama Senju invented many forbidden techniques and has knowledge of sealing. He may prove useful to our purposes."

"It feels a little wrong to talk about using the founders of our village like this." Sakura bit her lip. "But it's… it's kind of exciting in a weird way."

Itachi gave her a look of surprise and confusion.

"You're very odd sometimes, Sakura."

She laughed.

"It's just, well… They're so powerful, and they're so revered in our history. And then we saw their incredible power and skill during their time as reanimations, and now… now they need _our_ help."

Itachi grunted.

"I suppose that is…a little exciting."

Sakura picked up her bowl of stew. Apparently, her stomach was settled enough to eat again. While she ate, they spoke about the mission. Itachi forced Sakura to recall everything she heard and saw from Obito, Madara, Kaguya and Black Zetsu during the war. He told her what he knew about Madara from the history of the Uchiha, telling Sakura things that the Uchiha never spoke about with those from outside the clan.

They continued to discuss their plans and ideas for another day and a half before Sakura felt well enough to travel.

Their good-byes to Tenji were sad and heartfelt, on Sakura's end at least. Itachi had grown weary of hearing himself referred to as Dango, but he would be grateful to the old man for aiding them so crucially. They promised, if they could, to return one day and tell him everything. Tenji just smiled and waved them off, telling them he believed in them, which resulted in a crushing hug from Sakura and a quick, relieving healing session afterward.

The return journey was filled with more evasive maneuvering than the initial journey was. Itachi and Sakura had made the decision to avoid speaking to anyone unless it were Hashirama, Madara, Tobirama or Izuna. At least, unless they could otherwise help it. They didn't want to run the risk of a clan possibly not coming to be a part of the future village or have too much influence on anything they could avoid.

The burden on their shoulders and their grief about losing their home and lives remained, though they tried to keep it from the forefront of their minds. Sakura's nightmares of war were slowly replaced with dreams that had her waking up crying, and though Itachi still had nightmares about Izumi, he still felt the ball of negative emotions compressed into his stomach. They rarely spoke about the nights they woke each other up. They shared a silent agreement to keep their own thoughts private, not to pry. Itachi had never spoken about his nightmares before, and every time he felt the strange urge he sometimes had to tell Sakura about them, he swallowed the lump in his throat and forced his mouth to stay closed.

To try and distract themselves from thinking too deeply while they traveled, Sakura drew Itachi into a game. The game was to imagine how they were going to live in this time. Itachi laughed as Sakura designed her own house ten-times over, each with more ridiculous inclusions to it, like a lake filled with giant fish in her yard, or a waterfall. They joked about showing off Tobirama's own techniques in front of him before he'd even invented them, and what kind of face he would make.

Over the two weeks, they played their game, the sad and serious feelings faded into something closer to nostalgia and eventually, Itachi started to feel the beginnings of hope spark in him. He began to imagine the possibilities of what his life could be. Here, in this time, he wasn't the heir to his clan. He was just another Uchiha, his responsibilities in the clan didn't exist. He was, in a sense, freer than he had ever been. It was an exhilarating thought.

* * *

Just a little more than two months after Sakura and Itachi landed in a flash of light in the middle of a battlefield, they finally arrived home. They stood side by side atop of Hokage Mountain, overlooking the very beginnings of their home. The tree's still dominated the view, and the homes were few and far between, scattered in the sea of green, but they were there.

"They made the treaty," Itachi said quietly.

Sakura gave a tearful nod. The rush of emotion she felt at seeing beginnings of the village was more than she'd expected.

"We should unmask our chakra," Itachi told her. "They'll come to us."

Sakura wiped her eyes and nodded, doing as he said. They stood at the edge of the mountain, and Sakura reached for Itachi's hand. It had become something like a habit since they'd arrived, and she wanted to feel some comfort and reassurance. He never rejected her, but she wasn't certain he was comfortable either. She had never know Itachi to show much physical affection before. But she assumed he might need it as much as she did.

The wind was strong enough to blow Sakura's hair in her face, but she didn't reach a hand to move it from obstructing her view. Now that they'd arrived, all of their plans, all of what they needed to do suddenly crashed into her conscious and weighed on her so much she thought her legs would collapse. There was a soft squeeze of her hand and she looked up at Itachi, who gave her a little smile, and she took a breath and felt calm settle over her. Tears slipped from her eyes.

"We're home," she whispered.

He released her hand brought his arm around her shoulders, giving her a sideways hug. It was all she needed to know he felt the same way she did. They were going to protect this place with everything inside them.

They arrived seconds later. Neither Sakura or Itachi moved, but they felt the four of them stand behind them. Sakura wondered which one would break the silence. Probably Hashirama.

An awkward cough sounded behind them.

"Are we interrupting something?" Hashirama asked, with clear awkwardness and playful teasing in his voice.

Sakura and Itachi finally turned around and Sakura slipped out of Itachi's hug.

When she caught eyes with Hashirama and he realised she was crying, his face went through a myriad of emotions from shock, to confusion, to worry and concern and uncertainty. It would have made Sakura laugh if she hadn't caught the look of calculation on Madara's face.

"So," he said. "You've returned."

He spoke to them both, but he looked at Itachi.

"As you knew we would," Itachi responded.

The air was thick with a tension that was clearly not understood by the Senju. It seemed that the Uchiha brothers had indeed not spoken with them about Itachi's secret.

"Hn," was all Madara replied.

"I, for one, am very glad to see you have both returned," Hashirama said a little too loudly, his smile a little too big.

Sakura returned his smile, though hers was less bright. She looked back over she shoulder.

"You've been busy," she commented.

Hashirama's eyes lit up. "Yes. The alliance was solidified some weeks ago. What you see is the foundations for our village."

"I'm sorry to have missed it," Sakura said sincerely. She looked between him and Madara and smiled. "Does it have a name yet?"

Hashirama shook his head and sighed, downcast.

"Not yet. We're just referring to it as 'the Village' for now."

He seemed excessively disappointed and Madara appeared to be pointedly ignoring the pleading eyes he was throwing at him. Sakura gave Itachi a knowing look, which he returned, the hint of a smile on his lips.

"You were gone for close to two months," Tobirama said, his voice gentler than it had been the last time they met. His gaze fell over their now dirtied dress. "Did you find what you went looking for?"

Sakura's fleetingly warm feelings that came at seeing the First Hokage disappeared.

"Yes," she replied, looking at the ground. "We did."

"It doesn't appear your discovery was well received," Tobirama observed.

"Some truths are heavy weights to bear," Itachi responded flatly, offering no other explanation and neither did Sakura.

An awkward silence settled over the six of them. No one seemed to know how to move forward. Sakura made the first step forward, she looked over at Izuna.

"Are you well, Izuna?" She asked, looking closely at the way he stood, and held himself, trying to see if there was any indication he was still injured. "Is your wound bothering you at all?"

He grinned at her.

"I'm perfectly healthy now, thanks to you."

"Perfect?" Sakura scoffed. "Perfectly perverted maybe," she mocked.

A slightly horrified look cross Izuna's face and his eyes darted to his brother, who raised his eyebrow at her comment. It seemed they also hadn't discussed those comments she'd made back then either.

Taking the chance to turn the conversation into something lighter, she cracked her knuckles in her palm.

"You know, since you're all better and 'perfect' now, I think I should show you just how much you annoyed me that day."

She grinned at him threateningly.

The colour drained from Izuna's face.

"I think I'll pass," he said, holding his hands up defensively.

"Oh?" Tobirama snickered. "Too scared, Uchiha?"

Izuna flashed a glare at Tobirama.

"Of you? No. Of her? Definitely."

Sakura felt her ego inflate at the comment, but at the same time, she inwardly sighed. Their relationship didn't seem much improved, despite their clans' union.

"As fascinating as a match between Izuna and Sakura may be," Madara interrupted in his deep, authoritative voice. "I believe there are more pressing matters to discuss." He said, looking pointedly at Itachi.

"Sakura and I are prepared to provide some answers to your questions, but those answers will be provided when and where we choose," Itachi said.

Sakura saw Tobirama's eyes narrow, and Madara and Izuna share a glance. Hashirama looked at them levelly but gave Sakura a smile when their eyes met.

"As it stands. We have journeyed for a long time and are weary and hungry, and in need of bathing. Is there perhaps a boarding house we could find refuge in?"

Hashirama clapped his hands together.

"That won't do at all," he said, shaking his head. "We shall all dine together. Some matters are better discussed in the company of good food and drink."

Sakura remembered that Tsunade had told her once in passing that it was her grandfather who taught her how to drink and gamble.

"Forgive me, Lord Senju, but we have no clothes to wear to a dinner with the heads of two clans. You'll have to forgive us," Itachi interjected politely.

Hashirama gave Madara a conspirators smile and Sakura had a sinking feeling about whatever he was about to say. He had the same glint in his eye that Tsunade often had when she was planning something, and Naruto when he thought he was going to get away with something he knew he shouldn't have done.

"Everything has already been prepared for you," he announced. "Come, Tobi, Madara, Izuna. Let's show our guests the way."

* * *

It turned out that sometime during their alliance, Madara had voiced to Hashirama his opinion that Sakura and Itachi would return at some point. With that in mind, Hashirama had used his wood-style to build her and Itachi a modest home, and both families had donated equal amounts to their wardrobes - and none of the clothes bore any clans symbol.

The house was in a secluded, woodland area close to the bottom of the cliff, with ample privacy. There was a spring behind the main building, and a small field could be seen through a row of trees. Something that would be useful for their training. Izuna was quick to point out that the distance of the house was the same from the Uchiha main households and from the Senju.

Sakura stared at the house in open shock, her mouth gaping open and eyes wide. It was beautifully placed and beautifully designed.

"You have shown great generosity toward strangers," Itachi said. Hashirama beamed at him, while the other three remained silent. "You have our gratitude, although this offering will not entice us to share the information you want to know."

Tobirama scoffed.

"You've been found out, brother."

Hashirama's smile dropped, but Sakura saw Itachi was giving a small smile.

"I didn't realise your instincts for design were so good," she said to him. His smile picked up again. "You certainly don't look like you have an eye for style," she said, barely holding back her smile.

Tobirama started to chuckle, along with Izuna, and even Madara cracked a smile. A heavy air of brooding settled over Hashirama and Sakura let her smile free. She laughed.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I was only teasing you. Itachi is right, this is wonderful but we won't accept a bribe. If that's what this is, we will go to the boarding house."

Hashirama's mood visibly lifted.

"That won't be necessary," Madara cut in before Hashirama could speak again. "This is not a bribe. We would not stoop so low."

He spoke as if he were disgusted at the implication, which Sakura assumed, he was.

"It's gratitude," Tobirama supplied.

"Gratitude?" Sakura asked.

He nodded, his red eyes catching her green ones intensely.

"Your hard words reminded me of values and ideals I held as a child, ones that I had lost sight of." He looked at Itachi. "We each have taken a step towards our own goals."

Sakura felt hope bloom in her chest. More than she'd felt in over a month. It was mixed with surprise. She honestly hadn't expected Tobirama to be the one to share his thoughts like this, in such an… amicable manner. They hadn't parted on the best of terms. Perhaps she'd misjudged him, or something else had happened that she didn't know or understand. Whatever the case, she could feel animosity from him. A small part of her felt a sense of unease, warning her not to let her defenses down.

She turned to Madara, he looked at her expectantly.

"Is that true?" She asked him directly.

She was taking steps forward now as well. The Otsutsuki brothers had told her she was the link between Naruto and Sasuke, and in this time, she needed to become the something else that helped hold Hashirama and Madara together. She was going to reach into the cool exterior of Madara Uchiha, no matter what. After all, she'd had years of practice with Sasuke - which, admittedly, didn't show for much but the effort was there.

He raised his chin slightly.

"It is," he said.

She grinned and stepped forward, placing a flat hand on the chest of Madara and Hashirama. They seemed wary but did not flinch away from her.

"I'm proud of you," she said, smiling at them.

The surprise on each of their faces was enough to make Sakura think that just maybe, she would be able to do this. Madara looked like he had no idea what to do or say, he blinked rapidly in confusion, and even had the hint of a slow blush crept up on his cheeks. His eyes slid over to Hashirama nervously, who glanced over at him with a look of pleased embarrassment. Madara looked away and cleared his throat.

Sakura's smile widened and she stepped back from the men.

Izuna broke the stunned silence.

"If it's agreeable, shall I come by at dusk to lead you to the dinner?" He asked, looking strangely at Sakura like she was a puzzle he couldn't figure out.

"It is agreeable," Itachi replied.

"Thanks for the house, you guys," Sakura said cheerfully. "I'm dying for a bath now, so Izuna, make sure you don't peek on me this time," she grinned.

Izuna spluttered in embarrassment.

"That's not - I didn't - "

Tobirama laughed aloud in an unexpected way, a burst of loud laughter followed by covering his mouth with his hand and looking at the younger Uchiha with disbelieving eyes. Hashirama chuckled behind his hand and Madara broke out of his stunned state to turn to Izuna, a look of disappointment and disapproval on his face.

"That is why she continues to refer to you as 'Pervert Izuna'?" He asked.

Izuna swallowed.

"It was an accident," he said through gritted teeth.

Sakura, enjoying his embarrassment, continued to tease him.

"Concealing your chakra while I was redressing was an accident?" She inquired as innocently as she could.

"Oh, Izuna," Hashirama laughed.

Izuna glared at Sakura and turned on his heels, stalking off into the woodlands. Sakura let out an amused sigh of contentment, before turning on the three other men and smiling sweetly at them. Hashirama leaned back at her look, sensing the deception in her.

"You might be the heads of great clans, and the strongest shinobi in the world, but don't forget this very important fact." She held up one finger. "If I wanted, I could cause you incredible damage with this finger, damage that even I wouldn't be able to repair. Okay?"

Hashirama gave her a slow and slightly terrified nod. Tobirama only sighed, clearly unamused by her. Madara, however, rolled his eyes, and Sakura discovered that she liked it when he was more expressive. She wondered what they thought about her display of strength those months ago. Clearly, Hashirama was the only one who took her threat seriously. She liked that he didn't underestimate her.

"I think we should retire now," Itachi said quietly amused behind her.

Sakura waved to the three of them.

"See you at dinner," she said.

She stood back beside Itachi and watched them retreat back down the path to the village.

"Do you think I went too far?" She asked him.

He shook his head.

"I think they were right about you," he replied smiling. "You might be exactly what they need. It's good to knock a god down a few pegs every now and then."


	9. Part Four: Somewhere Like Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please enjoy this next chapter, the beginning of a new arc.

 

**Part Four: Somewhere Like Home**

**Chapter Nine**

Itachi was satisfied with the house - all except one part of it. While Sakura bathed in the spring in the yard, he took to inspecting every inch of the surrounding area. He found one thing that irked him: Tobirama's seal for his teleportation. Itachi recognised it from the battlefield during the Fourth Shinobi War. It was a seal that never faded and wouldn't be removed, even after death. Itachi was under no illusions that the apparent acceptance Tobirama had shown himself and Sakura was fake, nor was he blind to the pretend trust the others had shown. He understood it, as he knew he would act the same way if their positions were reversed, and yet, it still annoyed him. He placed a genjutsu on the seal that would be activated the moment Tobirama arrived. He would not be able to hide his presence from them, and it filled Itachi with petty satisfaction.

Sakura and Itachi spent the afternoon preparing barriers, traps, and genjutsu to protect their home from intruders. They would be alerted of anyone approaching that wasn't themselves. Itachi could only hope that they had prepared enough to also hide from Black Zetsu.

While they waited for dusk, Itachi and Sakura sat talking quietly together in the living room about what was going to happen at the dinner. Sakura sat slightly uncomfortably in a chair. She wasn't used to wearing such traditional clothes and selected to wear hakama with a simple kimono instead of the very expensive looking formal kimono she had been supplied with.

Itachi opted for a traditional Uchiha outfit, a high-necked and long-sleeved mantle in charcoal, with trousers and sandals. He was sitting on the couch, adjacent to Sakura.

"So what are we going to do?" Sakura asked him. "They're going to ask us questions that we can't give satisfactory answers to."

"We mix truth and lies together," Itachi replied. He gave her a sidelong glance. "Why are you nervous? We've discussed this already."

Sakura fiddled with her hair, tucking and untucking it behind her ear.

"I know. It's just that talking is different than doing."

She put her hands in her lap, an effort to stop fidgeting, Itachi assumed.

"Hn," Itachi agreed. "Why did you tell them you were proud of them?" He asked curiously.

Sakura looked at him.

"Don't you think what they're doing is amazing?" Sakura asked. Her eyes took on a distant look. "One day, this place is going to be somewhere that so many people can call home and look to for protection. I was looking at them, and I could see… I don't know exactly, but they reminded me a little bit of Sasuke and Naruto when we were genin. Sasuke was always trying to prove he was the best, but he was still a kid, he still needed someone to tell him he was doing well, and it was the same with Naruto." She looked at Itachi, coming back to the present. "I wanted to tell them they were doing well, that's all."

There were times that Itachi forgot Sakura was a few years younger than he was. There was an air of maturity about her and thoughtfulness in what she said and did that he rarely heard in someone her age. A pang in his chest made me realise that it was more than likely the result of Sasuke's abandonment of the village that forced her to mature beyond her years, but he was grateful that it did.

He turned his head to look out the window.

"Someone approaches," he said.

Sakura looked outside, the sun was setting.

"Izuna?" She asked.

"Most likely. Shall we meet him?" Sakura nodded.

They slipped on their shoes at the door and exited the house.

They met an irate looking Izuna on the path.

"Good afternoon, Izuna," Sakura said politely.

Izuna gave her a small nod before turning a glare on Itachi.

"Was that necessary?" He asked.

Itachi gave a small smirk in response.

"Where is Tobirama?" He inquired.

Izuna's expression changed to one of satisfaction.

"Still trapped in the genjutsu," he said, a little too smugly.

"You didn't help get him out of it?" Sakura said disapprovingly.

"Why should I? He should be able to do it himself, if he's as strong as he claims," Izuna scoffed. He glanced at Itachi. "Despite the level of the genjutsu."

Itachi tilted his head slightly, understand the compliment and suspicion, and made the sign of release. Izuna sighed.

"Let's go. Madara's waiting, and I don't want to deal with an angry Tobirama more than I have to."

Itachi and Sakura shared an amused glance and followed him down the path, to where Tobirama stood with a glower on his face and his arms folded tightly in anger across his chest.

Itachi looked him over.

"Good afternoon. I wouldn't try to use the seal at our house," he said to Tobirama, who looked like he was ready to murder Itachi. "You might not like the effects."

Tobirama's glower deepened and his eyes narrowed.

"Is that so?" He asked through gritted teeth.

Itachi heard Sakura sigh, but Itachi was rather enjoying the effect he was having, on both Tobirama and Izuna.

"We shouldn't keep the others waiting," Sakura said, taking a step forward. "Good afternoon, Tobirama. I didn't realise you'd be coming as well."

Tobirama walked ahead, leaving them behind without a response.

"Unsocial bastard," Izuna muttered quietly. He cut his eyes to Sakura. "That was uncalled for, this afternoon."

Sakura bit her lip.

"It was good payback though," she grinned. "You won't be doing that again, to anyone, will you?"

Izuna rolled his eyes.

"I really didn't… You were… It wasn't like you're imagining. I only arrived when you saw me. What are you? Some kind of sadist? They won't let me live this down now."

"Oh," Sakura said. "I know."

Not for the first time did Itachi wonder at the Uchiha genes. Izuna looked similar in many ways to Sasuke, and Itachi wondered if Sasuke had grown up a little differently, would he have grown into a similar personality? Sasuke was a happy, open child, until he became aware of the rifts between the village and the clan, and closed himself off.

Surprising Itachi, Izuna let out a chuckle, casting a glance to Sakura like he was trying to figure her out. Like he might be interested in her. Itachi felt himself frown. Neither he or Sakura had spoken about their futures in the time, but what they had said was that they would keep a distance from people. Itachi had taken that to mean romantically as well.

Izuna looked at Itachi over Sakura's head, and his eyes became immediately warier.

"I hope the two of you are more prepared to answer our questions tonight," he said, the warmth fading from his voice.

Itachi inclined his head.

"We wouldn't have returned if that wasn't the case."

Sakura stayed quiet, and the atmosphere because tenser as they walked. They didn't speak until they reached a building that Itachi surmised would later become the Hokage Residence.

* * *

There was an atmosphere over the dinner that Itachi and Sakura tried to ignore. Sakura attempted to laugh with Hashirama, but even his easy conversation seemed forced. Tobirama remained silent, glaring slightly at the two of them, his suspicious clear in his eyes.

Madara, to Sakura's immense surprise, seemed the calmest of all of them. She didn't know what had changed since she'd last seen him, but something had certainly caused him to be less wary of Itachi. Was it possible that he just accepted Itachi as an Uchiha, and that was that? It seemed too simple. Sakura had a sinking feeling that his brother didn't share his opinion, whatever it was.

She glanced at Itachi, who ate quietly and poised, in a manner well-fitting the first son of the head of a clan. She felt, in the presence of these historically important men, as well as clan leaders, slightly underdressed in her hakama, and a little badly mannered. She wasn't a pig when she ate, she was still a girl after all, but she certainly wasn't trained and refined like the five of them.

After another failed attempt at some conversation, Sakura had finally had enough. She wanted this to be over and done with. Exactly how the conversation was going to, she didn't know, but there were things her and Itachi had decided to say and reveal.

"Itachi, my patience is running low for this weird atmosphere," Sakura murmured to him.

He nodded slowly, and placed his chopsticks down, drawing the attention of the table.

"We would ask to speak alone," Sakura said to Hashirama, who motioned at the attendant in the room to close the door.

The moment it was done, Itachi used his shuriken to attached seals to the four walls, ceiling and floor, and activated the seal before anyone could move.

Tobirama was furious.

"What is this?" He demanded.

"A simple sound sealing jutsu. What is spoken in this room will not be heard outside the barrier."

Itachi spoke as if he were talking to a child, infuriating Tobirama even more. He spluttered with rage, while the other three watched on as Itachi continued to speak.

"All of you have enough chakra to destroy the barrier in an instant if you wish. However, if you do that you will not get any answers from us."

Hashirama looked at Itachi with a hard expression, and Sakura felt his chakra release to the point where he almost broke the seal. Sakura felt her heart race at the sudden pressure of the chakra.

"As much as we wish to welcome you and Sakura into our lands, your actions and words do not encourage trust," Hashirama said, slowly cloaking his chakra again.

Sakura panted slightly and was annoyed when she realised no one else was as affected by that as she was.

"Your very arrival is an unexplained event," Hashirama continued.

Sakura felt the intense gaze of Madara drift over her and land on Itachi. He was waiting to see what they were going to reveal.

"For all we know, you could be enemies attempting some kind of subterfuge in the early days of our alliance," Tobirama said. "Perhaps you don't want this village to be formed, perhaps your words of peace were designed to lower our guards."

Sakura hit her palms on the table so hard it cracked in half, and two small dents formed under her hands.

"Shut up! You know nothing! For the sake of the village, I will give my life - I already have given my life!" She shouted at him.

Tobirama's look didn't soften, but a flash of something else crossed his eyes.

"Sakura." She heard Izuna's voice break through. "What do you mean?"

She looked at him and frowned. Then she remembered what she said. She had said too much in her anger.

"You wish to know the reason I did not reveal my last name, the reason why we have no given straightforward answers to any questions, the reason why we left and have returned," Itachi stated, and they all nodded.

Sakura sat back, allowing him to take over the conversation while she collected herself. She still felt Tobirama's gaze on her, as well as Hashirama's divided curiosity.

"In the world of shinobi, to ask for blind trust is like asking a sword not to cut. We are well aware of this, and yet, this is what we ask of you."

Itachi looked at Hashirama and then he looked at Madara.

"Who are you?" Madara asked him.

Not demandingly, not with anger. Like it was just a normal question he'd ask of anyone. He almost sounded bored, like he already knew what the answer was going to be.

Sakura's heart hammered in her chest again.

"The better question is how and why did we come here."

Itachi closed his eyes. Sakura gripped her thighs and looked at the now table before swallowing and looking up again, raising her chin to signal she was not afraid. Hashirama watched her, torn with curiosity and guarded judgment.

Itachi opened his eyes, red and black, three lines. The Mangekyo Sharingan.

"I am Itachi Uchiha."

"Uchiha?" Tobirama hissed accusingly. "The Mangekyo Sharingan." Tobirama looked at the Uchiha with some confusion. "You… how is this possible?"

Hashirama, to Sakura's surprise, didn't react at all. He sat and stared, the only motion he had was to look towards Madara.

Izuna looked shocked at the revelation of the Mangekyo, and then angry. It was something that he believed only he and Madara had achieved in this time, Sakura knew, and now Itachi, someone from nowhere, arrived and claimed to be their clansmen with an advanced dojutsu? Sakura was only glad she wasn't also an Uchiha and hiding a power like that. She took a peek at Madara and saw that he looked mostly… interested, with a glint of something she couldn't define. Perhaps, excitement. It reminded her a lot of the crazed Madara she had battled before and her skin crawled.

"I would also like to know that," Izuna said with some anger.

Itachi closed his eyes and deactivated his Sharingan, he looked directly at Madara, ignoring Izuna.

"You allowed me to leave when you discovered my Sharingan."

Madara inclined his head in confirmation.

"And if we had never returned, what would you have done?"

Madara gave a cold smirk.

"Your return was inevitable," he said, with a level of arrogance. "Blood calls to blood."

"Perhaps it is something like that," Itachi returned without emotion.

Sakura knew better. It was the chakra that bound them all together, but she didn't enlighten them. Maybe in the future, that time would come, but it certainly wasn't now.

The room remained quiet at the exchange. Izuna's emotions were guarded now, Sakura saw. He watched his brother with some intensity.

"Should we test, cousin, if you truly deserve those eyes of yours?" Madara asked, some heightened eagerness in his voice.

Sakura felt something akin to fear coil in her stomach when she saw the look in his eyes, that almost familiar look.

"Or perhaps we should return to questioning our most interesting guests," Hashirama cut in pleasantly.

His tone was light but held an unmistakable command. Madara cut his eyes to Hashirama and leaned back.

Sakura let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. The intensity of the exchange between Itachi and Madara was something she was not expecting. She was looking down at the table again.

"You ask for blind trust?" Hashirama questioned.

Sakura raised her head and saw that he was speaking to her, and not Itachi, who remained quiet.

"Y-yes," she said, growing annoyed at her own timidity.

She straightened her back. She was Sakura Haruno, dammit. She wasn't going to be intimidated by these four.

"We made it clear on our first meeting that we are not aligned with either the Senju or Uchiha. Although Itachi is an Uchiha, his allegiance is first to this village, as is mine."

Tobirama shook his head.

"You speak of this village, yet it is barely established."

"Does that truly matter?" She asked. "This is the place we call home."

"You make no sense, Sakura," Izuna said. "How can he be an Uchiha and not loyal to the clan?"

Sakura frowned at his comment, but she saw Itachi stiffen and turn a fierce look on Izuna.

"Do not speak to me of my loyalties. Wars begin because of blind loyalty to a clan. In a village such as this, it is imperative to think of all its citizens as your family. Your narrow-minded ideals will only hurt the future."

Sakura stared wide-eyed at Itachi. That was the closest she'd ever heard him come to yelling, the closest she'd ever heard him speak about his clans attempt at a coup.

She felt Izuna's rage spike.

"Brother." Madara's voice was dark and filled with warning, and it immediately impacted Izuna. "Be silent."

Izuna settled himself, but his jaw was set angrily and his expression dark. Sakura didn't think Izuna liked Itachi very much at all.

"Your values hold true much with my own, and with Tobirama," Hashirama said.

Itachi inclined his head stiffly. Sakura saw Tobirama appraising Itachi with a newfound curiosity.

"Your words come from a place of experience?" Hashirama asked.

Itachi, again, was stiff in inclining his head in confirmation with his question.

"Yet Madara did not know you before the day you appeared in the midst of our battle," Tobirama stated bluntly, seeming to be happy to poke holes in their story.

"There are things we want to tell you, but you will not understand them, or accept them. At least, not as things are now," Itachi replied.

A tone of urgency was in his voice that concerned Sakura. Sakura put a hand on his arm and he looked down at it and back at her. She felt the heat radiating from his body. He was tense, on edge - he wasn't focused anymore, too many things had triggered emotions he'd been keeping pushed down and out of sight. Sakura stared at him, pleading with her eyes for him to sit still and quiet, to allow her to handle the conversation from now on. He acquiesced with a small nod.

She made eye contact with all of the men in the room before she spoke.

"This hasn't been an easy conversation, but we didn't expect it would be. There are a lot of things that you four cannot and will not understand, even if we did tell you everything."

"You ask for trust, yet you do not trust us," Izuna said to her, folding his arms over his chest, in a manner she knew that he didn't recognise as mirroring Tobirama.

She gave a small smile.

"I wish it were that simple."

"Why can't it be? I trusted you, and my brother trusted you, with my life," he argued.

Sakura clenched her jaw.

"It's not the same thing, Izuna. We do trust you, more than you will _ever_ comprehend, and that is exactly the reason why we can't tell you what you want to know."

Tobirama let out a quiet, disbelieving scoff.

"Does that mean you will tell us in the future?" Hashirama asked her in a still curious, but quieter tone.

The mood in the room was settling as she spoke. The tension, although still there, was cooling from a boiling point to a quieter sense of unease.

She glanced at Itachi.

"I hope so," she replied, looking back at Hashirama.

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath, she had made a decision she hoped that Itachi would agree with, or find necessary.

"I shouldn't, but, I will tell you something more, something about why we are here. Why these seals around the room are necessary."

From the corner of her eye, she saw Itachi look at her, but he didn't tell her to stop, so she kept talking.

"This wonderful village you're going to create, it's going to change the world."

She smiled at Hashirama and Madara, the former gave her a surprised smile and the latter's eyes soften from a harsh stare when he saw her smile was genuine.

"You, Madara, and you, Hashirama, you have the potential to lead the world into a future unlike what we have ever seen." Her throat clenched at the comment, bringing a stinging to her eyes that she quickly blinked away. Her gaze darkened. "But there are other things in this world with dreams of destruction, and," she couldn't help but allow her eyes to flicker to Madara for a moment, and he very slightly raised his eyebrow at her look, "they will use and manipulate whoever they can to achieve their goal."

She paused and shook off the negativity that had a hold on her for a moment as she thought of the despicable Zetsu.

"That's why we're here, and why we ask you to blindly trust us." Sakura's voice took on a pleading note. "We want what you want: for this village to thrive, for peace, and to protect the ones we hold in our hearts."

There are was silence in the room as each man was lost in his own thoughts. Tobirama stared at her like he was trying to crack a code. He wanted to see if she was lying, so she stared coolly back, confident in her own words until he pursed his lips and looked away.

At some point, Izuna had trained his Sharingan on her. Sakura flinched when she saw it, and he immediately deactivated it, a guilty look on his face. He had done it to see any disturbances in her chakra, she realised.

"I wasn't lying," she said with an irritated scowl.

He gave her what was an attempt at a playful grin, but he couldn't manage it with the mood of the hour.

"Just checking," he said.

Their interaction broke the silence in the room.

"Okay," Hashirama said with some finality. "I trust you."

Sakura looked at him with surprise. She saw Tobirama scowl at him.

"You're too hasty, Hashirama, always so damn foolish," Tobirama muttered. He looked at Sakura. "Pretty words and smiles mean nothing," he said harshly.

She flinched at his tone and the sexism that his sentence carried with it.

"You've proven nothing, given no insight, no reason to believe you."

Sakura glared at the man.

"If pretty words and insults do nothing, then why don't we settle this with action," she challenged.

"Sakura, I really don't think - "

Hashirama was cut off by Sakura yelling at him to shut up - only at the last second holding herself back from screaming 'Naruto' at him - and he immediately drooped into another depressive state.

"You may be strong, Tobirama Senju, but you shouldn't underestimate me," she said through clenched teeth.

"I never underestimate my opponents, it is foolish to assume your own strength," he replied coolly. His logic just pissed her off even more. "I will fight you, Sakura Haruno. Have no doubt of that."

"Bring it on,  _Tobi,"_  she sneered.

At some point, both Sakura and Tobirama had stood up. Sakura, far shorter, was looking up at him. She felt ridiculous when she realised their height difference. But in battle, height didn't matter. Much.

"It might be wise to hold the match outside the village boundaries," Itachi said. "Sakura's battles tend to be… destructive."

Sakura looked down at Itachi, who was speaking to the room in general, and blushed furiously although she knew it was true. Hashirama and Izuna shared a laugh, although the Uchiha cut off earlier when he realised it.

"We will also battle," Madara announced, staring at Itachi.

Sakura immediately paled as a thousand memories played over in her mind, and she saw Tobirama's challenging glare turn to something of confusion and even concern.

Madara, slicing through the shinobi ranks as easily as if he were simply cutting grass. Madara, holding off Shisui and Itachi. Madara, stabbing Sasuke. Madara, head to head with Might Guy. Madara, turning into the ten-tails jinchuuriki. Madara, his tormenting, demented words ringing in her head. His power, his mad, mad power.

Sakura could not longer hear what's being said around her. She felt the gaze of Tobirama on her, but her breath came so quickly she felt like her chest was emptying of air, and her heart would falter.  _A panic attack_ , a faint part of her brain told her. Her body started to tremble.

Then she saw something that truly horrified her, although it was just her imagination and not a memory: Madara and his hand through Itachi's chest, blood dripping down his fist. Itachi's blood. Itachi dead. Sakura screamed and screamed and screamed until the world turned black.

* * *

From the corner of his eye, Itachi saw the sudden trembling of the fabric of her hakama. He glanced upwards, noting the look of concern on Tobirama's face and then jolted upwards when she screamed. A blood-curling, horrified scream like her own living nightmare was tormenting her waking mind.

Tobirama stumbled back with surprise at her outburst. Madara sat up straight and alert, ready for any danger. Izuna cried out her name in distress and Hashirama reached for her.

"No,  _stop_  - don't - stop it… Madara… stop, NO, NO…  **ITACHI!"**

"Sakura!"

She went limp, suddenly and Itachi caught her collapsed body, scooping her into his arms. His pulsed raced with fright and panic. What had come over her? She was screaming incoherently, but he made out Madara's name and his own. Was it the war?

He looked at Tobirama accusingly.

"What happened?" He demanded.

"Nothing," he replied, clearly confused. "She just went pale, and… started screaming."

"My name," Madara said, standing. "Why did she say my name...like that?"

There was a frown on his face, and genuine confusion and concern.

Itachi looked down at her, readjusting her so that instead of her head lolling back, she was curled at his chest.

"I don't know," he replied.

"You knew me, me and Hashirama," Madara snapped.

It was the first time the entire evening the Uchiha had lost his temper. Itachi had been wary of it the entire evening. He'd seemed disinterested at first until his Mangekyo was shown, and then he'd had a glint of excitement and greed in his eye that was too close to what he'd witnessed in the war.

Itachi unconsciously held Sakura closer to him.

"There's something… something…" Madara stared at him in frustration. "You being here has something to do with us, doesn't it?"

Itachi held his head high and looked at Madara.

"Sakura has explained enough of why we are here," he answered. "She's passed out. I want to take her home."

"Of course," Hashirama said. "You are more than welcome to rest here if you choose."

Hashirama was looking down at Sakura with some concern.

Itachi shook his head at his offer.

"No," he said quickly. "Thank you," he amended. "She'll be more comfortable at home."  _Away from all of you._

He paused at the door and looked back at the men in the room.

"You may not have trust in us, but Sakura spoke the truth and you are all among the people she carries in her heart now." His eyes landed on Tobirama. "Even you," he said with almost a smirk. "Think over what we discussed. When Sakura recovers, we will be willing to speak more. Good night."

He opened the door with his foot and walked out of the room.

Izuna followed behind.

"Will she be all right?" He asked.

Itachi looked at his ancestor with some concern and curiosity. Izuna had taken something of a liking to Sakura, that was clear. Perhaps it was just because Sakura saved his life, or it was a silly crush. Itachi didn't like it either way. Izuna reminded him too much of his clansmen, blinded by pride and walking paths to power instead of peace. He didn't like him.

"Yes," Itachi answered shortly.

"I don't trust you," Izuna said.

"Clearly," Itachi drawled, annoyed by the man still following him.

"But her… I could trust her," Izuna's voice was quiet and uncertain. "Take care of her."

Itachi looked back at him, gave a short nod, and continue home. Sakura's body the only source of warmth in the cool night air.

* * *

He didn't draw the room divider in the bedroom. He laid her on the couch while he set up their futons. With a moment's hesitation, he undressed her outer layers, leaving her in the under layers and making sure to avert his eyes from her body, before laying her in the futon, and drawing the blanket up to cover her.

He undressed and laid in his own bed, which he'd drawn close to hers. Worry filled his chest. This was the second time she'd passed out. He knew that she did faint on occasion, but he didn't know if this was normal for her, or a side-effect of what the brothers had done. The screams that had torn from her mouth concerned him. What had she seen? In the dim, moonlight room, he watched as her breath rose and fell as she slept and closed his eyes.

The dinner went as well as he might have expected. Tensions were high from mistrust and uncertainty. He'd allowed his emotions to rule him, a mistake he'd rarely made before. It was Sakura who had brought them all back. He didn't know how she could be so violent and short-tempered, and turn around and become this soothing presence that everyone listened too. He admired that about her.

A little sniffle and hiccup made his eyes open and he caught sight of Sakura, still asleep, but crying.

"Don't leave me," she whimpered.

Itachi didn't know who she was talking about, but he let out a soft sigh and reached under the cover for her hand. When he found it, he held it loosely in his own.

"I won't leave you, Sakura. I promise," he said in the darkness.

* * *

Madara and Izuna departed shortly after Itachi left with Sakura. Madara had seemed tense and distracted as he left. Izuna, worried about Sakura, but still hostile to both Hashirama and Tobirama. Hashirama sighed when he thought of the younger Uchiha. It was going to take a lot for him to be able to convince Izuna that the Senju weren't monsters, and the war was done.

"What is it?" Tobirama asked him.

Hashirama looked down at the table, remembering how Sakura had broken it, snapping violently when Tobirama had accused her of coming to destroy the village.

"There are a lot of things that don't make sense with those two," Hashirama replied.

"You can say that again," Tobirama agreed.

Hashirama looked over at Tobirama.

"I don't mean what you're thinking. There's something else… I think Madara was right before."

"About what?" Tobirama asked, frowning.

"About them being here for Madara and me," Hashirama frowned. "Something feels - inside... I can feel  _something_  about them. I know he feels it too."

"Are you sure you're not imaging anything?" Tobirama asked tiredly.

"Of course I'm sure," Hashirama replied. "It's just a feeling. It's been there since they appeared." Tobirama looked thoughtful. "Has your research come up with any results?"

His brother shook his head, a frustrated grimace on his face.

"No. Nothing. There are just no records about any kind of jutsu like that. I have no idea how they came."

"Well I'm not surprised," Hashirama said, patting Tobirama on the back. "You can't be a genius all the time."

Tobirama glared at him.

"Do you really believe them?" He asked after a moment.

Hashirama put his hand gently on Tobirama's shoulder.

"There are times, brother, when you need to follow your instinct before your head. I have faith in them, whatever their reasons, I truly believe they want to protect the Village."

Tobirama rolled his eyes.

"You only like her because she said you're going to 'create a wonderful future' or something. You're so superficial." Tobirama said.

Hashirama's shoulders drooped.

"That was uncalled for. It's not the only reason. I told you - "

"You like her because she's pretty," Tobirama said.

Hashirama looked offended.

"That's insulting to her. I like her because she's clearly compassionate, intelligent, a gifted kunoichi, and she speaks very honestly."

Tobirama snorted.

"Well. At least I can agree that she seems to speak highly of the village."

Hashirama nodded.

"Right? She does. So does Itachi. It's so obvious he's an Uchiha, he's just like Madara."

Tobirama shook his head.

"No, he isn't," he said firmly.

Hashirama gave his brother a look but shrugged.

"I wasn't expected the Mangekyo Sharingan," he said.

"Nor was I," Tobirama admitted. "Do you really believe that he's never met Madara before?"

"Yes," Hashirama replied. "Madara had never seen him before."

"Hmm."

Tobirama tapped his bicep thoughtfully. He looked at Hashirama, who seemed to be about to enter one of his brooding moods, and decided to change the subject.

"You really need to come up with a name for the Village. We can't keep calling it 'the Village.'"

"I'm not doing it alone. Madara and I shared this dream, we're going to build this place together, and that means naming it as well."

Tobirama shook his head.

"Whatever makes you happy," he muttered.


	10. Part Four: Somewhere Like Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter... i think i like it quite a bit. there's more insight into the founders thinking.  
> you know, Hashirama is actually super hard to write/balance with his random-ass personality.
> 
> there's the first real big impact on a specific future here. and a little insight into the past with Sakura and the Uchiha.
> 
> sorry about Sakura. she keeps passing out. but everything has a purpose. also the reasons behind the lack of 'we're from the future' reveal is explained more in this chapter.
> 
> this arc is focused on konoha, building relationships, the village foundations, the characters in general, etc. i suppose it might technically be a filler arc, but everything that happens is important for some point in the future, so... yep, maybe not filler?

**Part Four: Somewhere Like Home**

**Chapter 10**

Tobirama's greatest flaw was that he was too curious for his own good. His father had been a harsh man with a rigid view of the world, but he'd grown up influenced heavily by the dreams of his elder brother. People often mistook him as someone less interested in peace as Hashirama. His closed off demeanor and blunt manner of speech were often misconstrued as indicators of a man who took after his father. Tobirama hated being compared to Butsuma when in fact, Tobirama had always longed for peace; for a world freed from war and a place for children to play and live without fear of battle and death. In his heart, he wished to be like Hashirama, to be able to spout his ideals and notions about the way life should be, and push forward with the assumption that others would accept his words and join him. Instead, Tobirama was forced into the role of a pragmatic man, who viewed both the light and dark of the world and faced the dirty underworld head-on while Hashirama stood in the sun.

That was the difference, he believed, between himself and the Uchiha. Tobirama could walk through the darkness without being corrupted. He was a stubborn man, but he faced his demons head on and beat them down with a single-minded focus on his goal. He wasn't afraid to see the parts of himself that he hated. But he wasn't confident that that was also true for the Uchiha, especially for Izuna.

Sometimes he caught glimpses of the man Hashirama believed Madara to be. He could see a gentle kindness in the man's interactions with children, and the protectiveness he held for those he loved. Tobirama could see that he had the potential to be a good, loyal and just leader, someone truly remarkable. It was often overshadowed by a darker side to the man that he couldn't seem to shake, no matter how hard Hashirama tried. Tobirama didn't understand the resistance in the Uchiha to embrace new ways of life.

But in Izuna, Tobirama didn't see the potential for something better. He didn't think the man himself was bad. He was able to see past his own dislike of Izuna and observe him as a person. It was clear that Izuna held a great love for his brother, for his clan, and fondness and passion for the children. But it didn't extend past those who bore the Uchiha name. In Madara, Tobirama saw potential. In Izuna, he saw a snake coiled and ready to strike.

After two nights sleep and many hours spent thinking over everything Itachi and Sakura had said, Tobirama's interest was at its peak. He had a constant, nagging feeling about them. He didn't feel the 'pull' or whatever it was that Hashirama and apparently Madara did, it was more like he could almost taste the answer to all the questions on his tongue.

It grated on him that although their answers and explanations didn't reveal anything and remained infuriating. They both spoke with clarity and confidence, and he couldn't see a lie in them. He'd spent the entire time monitoring their chakra, just as Hashirama and the Uchiha had been doing. Liars could be caught out by minute shifts in their chakra, and an increased pulse. But none of them had found anything that could have questioned their honesty. Hashirama certainly would never have said that he believed them when he didn't, he wasn't that kind of a man.

The mystery of the two, he was sure, could be figured out by understanding Itachi Uchiha. Tobirama had a hunch that just finding out a little more about him, who he really was, would unravel it all. He was an Uchiha who wasn't affiliated with his clan, yet his power was on a level on par with Madara and Izuna, as shown by the fact he had developed his Sharingan to the Mangekyo.

Tobirama was certain he'd never felt the man's chakra before, or seen him, until the day they appeared in the midst of the final Uchiha-Senju battle. It meant that Tobirama had never crossed swords with him, not to mention he'd never heard of a medic as skilled as Sakura was, ever. Even more curious to Tobirama was that Itachi seemed to have values that aligned more with what Hashirama and himself held. His agitation and outburst at Izuna for his comments about clan loyalty had been a source of deep thought for Tobirama. Their comments about the Village was also another source of confusion and thought. Claiming such deep loyalty for a place they'd only been in for a day, and that was only recently established was unbelievable. The angry resolve that Sakura had blasted at him when he'd accused her of ill-motives was certainly unexpected. He could almost accuse her of overreacting, but there was something in her eyes… it was determination, a deep sadness… she seemed to truly believe she was protecting her home like it was somewhere she'd always lived.

He groaned in frustration and ran his hand through his hair. There was something crucial he was missing. Some information he needed to have before he could figure this whole thing out. An idea struck him. Of the two, Sakura seemed most likely to be provoked and lose her cool. Perhaps during their fight, he would be able to get inside her head and find out something more.

He pushed the papers on his desk away from him. He had too much work to do, especially since Hashirama avoided paperwork like it was a disease and left it all to him to do unless he threatened him. He really needed an assistant, especially since he now wanted to keep an eye on Sakura and Itachi. It had been two days since she'd collapsed after screaming, and he decided it was time to visit. A flash of irritation cut through him when he remembered Itachi's warning about using his Flying Thunder God technique to teleport there. He wondered what genjutsu the prick had put on his seal. He felt a flush of humiliation remembering that he was stuck in his genjutsu some days earlier. Itachi was, he realised, a true master of the art. It just made him even more curious.

Tobirama created a water clone - he was close, so close, to completing his new clone jutsu - and left his clone to complete the paperwork while he headed out. Aside from gathering intelligence and locating his brother, Tobirama also had a fight to organise with the fiery, pink-haired medic.

* * *

"I'm not going to push you for answers, but there are something things I'd like to discuss and get off my chest."

Hashirama sat cross-legged on the floor across from Itachi. Sakura lay sleeping between them. He had come to the house to check on Sakura, and offer his help or aid for anything they might need. His concern for Sakura seemed genuine, and Itachi wondered how strongly he and Madara felt the intangible bond between them all. Itachi didn't feel particularly connected to the Senju, mostly he felt the connection with Madara. It seemed to be slowly growing stronger, but he didn't know why. It made sense to him though, since Itachi hadn't been that close to Naruto either. He was in the past for the sake of Madara, while Sakura was there for both of them.

Itachi studied Hashirama. The man was filled with an open charisma that Itachi had never attained. Occasionally, he imagined that as a young child when he had met Lord Forth before he died, that he'd felt a similar kind of charisma from Minato Namikaze. Hashirama was an open book, though Itachi recognised that he did keep some things hidden. His mood swings were as impressive as they were an exasperation, quick to rise and fall. His laughter was loud, and Itachi suspected his anger was swift and dangerous. It was obvious to Itachi why he was respected and feared, and how he could be treated with disregard by those closest to him, but never lose their confidence in him. Hashirama possessed a rare quality.

"Very well," Itachi replied.

He understood, from knowing Naruto Uzumaki, that Hashirama was likely not going to give up until he was satisfied. He didn't think Sakura was comfortable enough to punch the First Hokage through the wall - fondly, of course - just yet.

"I believe Madara was correct in assuming the reason the two of you are here had to do with myself and him," Hashirama said. "We have both felt some kind of strange connection to you."

It was a question in the guise of a statement, and Itachi pondered how to respond. He had expected to be confronted again, but not so soon. It was his idea to reveal some, but not all, to them. It would be easier to convince them of the real truth - that they were taken from the future to save the past and therefore save the future - if they drew their own conclusions naturally first. Sakura had agreed to his idea when he explained they were all very intelligent shinobi, and when all the other possibilities were ruled out, they wouldn't have a choice but to accept the impossible.

"What does the confirmation of this belief give you?" Itachi countered.

"Peace of mind, perhaps?" Hashirama laughed lightly.

Itachi remained silent and thoughtful. Revealing too much to soon could impact the development of the village. He didn't want to risk that.

"We are here," he said slowly, "because there is a threat lurking in the shadows and we have been tasked with its eradication."

"A threat that uses and manipulates to achieve its goals?" Hashirama supplied, paraphrasing Sakura's own words.

Itachi nodded slightly.

"We are sworn to protect and defend the future," he said.

Hashirama took a deep breath, looking at him thoughtfully.

"Tell me something, Itachi Uchiha," he said. "What do you need from us?"

"Need from you?" Itachi asked with some surprise.

He hadn't considered needing anything from them at all. He's been thinking only that he and Sakura needed to do certain things, assuming they would be doing it alone.

"Are you offering cooperation?" He inquired with some curiosity.

"It seems like you and Sakura have a heavy task on your shoulders. You're here alone; just the two of you to save the world. You might need some help," Hashirama said with the hint of a smile.

Itachi swallowed a wave of gratitude and looked down at Sakura. It was true, they would most likely need help in the future. Instead of their original plan, to force their way into getting the trust of the Uchiha and Senju, accepting aide when offered was far simpler and easier. Especially considering that he didn't know when Madara might turn against Hashirama and the village. Time wasn't on their side.

"That would be… very helpful," Itachi reluctantly admitted.

"Simply ask," Hashirama said. "It's like you said: the first step is the hardest. But we must take that step to build the foundations of trust."

At his words, Itachi held back a smile, and then it dropped completely when he felt Tobirama's chakra approach. He glanced at Hashirama, who had stilled, and looking pale. Itachi frowned in some confusion.

"Fuinjutsu," he said, distracting Hashirama. "We need to know about high-level sealing techniques."

Hashirama furrowed his brow.

"Why not go to the Uzumaki? They are long-time allies of the Senju. I could send you there with a message from us."

"No." Itachi shook his head immediately. "We will not leave this village. We don't want to involve anyone else." He hesitated. "We must have limited contact with the rest of the people here, for their safety and ours."

Hashirama studied him carefully and after a long moment of consideration, he nodded.

"Very well," he said. "I will speak with Tobi and Madara of this, and collect what we have about sealing. Is there anything else?"

"I think the both of us would enjoy new sparring partners," Itachi said after a moment, smiling slightly.

Hashirama's face lit up.

"Is that so? Wonderful! I can arrange that."

There was a knock at the door. Hashirama froze up.

"It's Tobi," he whispered.

"I am aware," Itachi said, shaking his head, slightly baffled at the behaviour First Hokage. He walked to the door and opened it.

"Good afternoon, Tobirama," he greeted.

Tobirama nodded.

"Good afternoon. So, this is where my idiot brother ran off too," he said, stepping inside and taking off his shoes.

Itachi closed the door behind him and led Tobirama into the room Hashirama waited in with Sakura. He saw that Hashirama was fidgeting and sweating a little bit.

"Hashirama," Tobirama said coldly.

"Hello, little brother!" Hashirama said with too much cheer to be real. "How are you?"

"I'd be a lot better if you didn't leave me all your damn paperwork," Tobirama glared.

"Is that right?" Hashirama said with a sliver of guilt in his voice.

Tobirama just sighed with some exasperation. Itachi watched the interaction with some amusement, but before he could say anything, Sakura mumbled in her sleep, drawing their attention.

"I'll save you, Madara. I promise."

Her words were slurred a little, but clear enough to hear. She let out a long breath and her brow pinched together.

Itachi felt himself resist the urge to sigh. She really had the worst timing. He felt the eyes of the Senju on him.

"It seems Madara's suspicions were correct," Tobirama muttered.

Itachi wanted to rebut him but stayed quiet. There was no point.

"Your refusal to answer is annoying," Tobirama said irritated. "But it proves the statement true. You are here because of him."

This time, Itachi didn't fight the urge. He let out a tired sigh.

"When the circumstances allow it, the entire truth will be laid out in front of you. For now, be satisfied in the knowledge that we are here to protect this village and dream, not to harm it."

 _"Hmph,"_  Tobirama grunted and looked away. He glanced at Sakura. "Has she woken?"

"Not yet," Itachi said. "The last time she passed out, she was unconscious for three days."

"It's a regular occurrence?" Tobirama asked with raised eyebrows. Itachi shrugged and Tobirama turned back to Hashirama. "Come on. You have paperwork to look over and a meeting with Madara about the village you want to build." He looked back at Itachi. "When she wakes up, let her know I'm looking forward to our fight."

Itachi nodded, noting that Tobirama looked more relaxed than he had in their previous meetings. He was actually almost grinning. Or maybe it was closer to a smirk. The younger man pulled his elder brother out of the house, leaving Itachi alone with Sakura, lost in her dreams.

He leaned back against the wall of the room and gazed at her.

"You really have the worst timing," he muttered quietly to her sleeping form.

* * *

Word that the miracle healer who saved Izuna had returned had quickly spread through the Uchiha. It was giving Madara a headache, having to constantly answer questions about her, about when she would come around to see them as he promised them she would a couple of months ago.

As far as he knew, she still hadn't woken after her screaming fit. Everything about Sakura Haruno made him feel uneasy. She agitated and calmed him, all at the same time. Since he'd seen her, he'd had a growing sense that he had known her far longer than he really had. It was different from what he felt when he was around Itachi. He couldn't describe it, even if he wanted too.

There was a swift knock at his door.

"Enter," he called.

Izuna walking in, looking pale and worried. Madara raised an eyebrow at the look on his face.

"We need to get Sakura," he said. "Something is wrong with Matsuri."

Madara nodded.

"I will fetch her."

"What if she's not awake?" Izuna asked worriedly.

"Then I'll wake her," Madara said firmly. Izuna gave a weak, distracted nod. "Go," Madara said to him. "Make sure Yuri doesn't do something stupid."

Izuna gave another nod, and left, pausing at the door only to tell Madara to hurry.

Madara did as he said, urged on by the knot of concern in his chest. Matsuri was heavily pregnant, and her pregnancy had been difficult, worrying everyone. Madara was not excluded from that worry. Matsuri had been like a shadow to him and Izuna in their younger years until she met and fell in love with Yuri. He cared for her like she was a younger sister. His mind reeled as he traveled to the house in the woods.

He didn't bother knocking, he opened the door, without taking off his shoes and entered, catching the end of a conversation.

"…the war, I saw it again… fight you and you died."

Sakura was sobbing.

Madara forced his curiosity to abate and walked into the room.

"Madara," Sakura started at his entry.

She flinched as she caught his eyes and looked away. He felt a prick of irritation and offense at her reaction and folded his arms across his chest.

"Good. You're awake," he said. "We need you now."

"What happened?" Itachi asked him.

"We need a medic. A woman in my clan needs attention immediately."

He saw Sakura flicker her gaze back to him with some concern, but she didn't meet his eyes. He felt a flutter of anxiety in his gut and impatience caused him to tap his fingers across his bicep. Sakura wiped her eyes and pushed back the blanket to stand. Itachi held her elbow to steady her and Madara watched the interaction with some anxiety. Was she too weak to perform medical jutsu?

"What's her condition?" Sakura asked.

"She's pregnant," he replied. "I don't know the details. Only that something is wrong."

He glanced down and saw what Sakura was wearing, and then looked away. She was only dressed in a light kimono, one that wasn't very appropriate for company.

"Get dressed," he ordered. "I'll wait at the door."

He turned and walked out of the room, heading to the door, angry at himself for his reaction.

Sakura was confusing him. She had seemed afraid of him when they'd first me, and then she'd opened up a little before they disappeared. When they'd returned, she'd been friendly towards him, even patting his chest and telling him she was proud of what he'd done. That action had stunned him and remained firmly in his mind. He didn't know why she'd said it, but he knew that he'd not felt such a swell of emotion like he had at that moment for a long time. He didn't know the last time someone had told him they were proud of him.

At the dinner, he'd seen her look at him with some concern, and again like she was searching for something. But then she'd screamed and said his name and sounded terrified. Now, she appeared to be afraid of him again and he didn't know why. There was something they were hiding from him, something that made Sakura, who he'd observed to be a strong but emotional person, scared of him. He hadn't done anything to earn that from her. He grimaced with annoyance. This entire escapade was becoming troublesome. Whatever was going on, he wanted to know and he was going to find out.

He sensed them approach and turned his head to see they were both dressed in Uchiha-style clothes, he smirked slightly and then led them to Matsuri's.

They kept up with his fast pace easily, which he was impressed by considering how unsteady Sakura had seemed earlier. Nonetheless, Itachi kept close to her.

The Uchiha lived in an area around the Naka River. They lived in a large, open compound split down the middle by the river. Although the clan preferred to stay close, Madara had encouraged them to spread themselves out a little further than they traditionally had. The idea came from Hashirama's constant nagging, and he understood the significance in both clans coming closer together to integrate into one village. Many of the Uchiha had opened shops in the market in the main part of the village.

The home of Matsuri and Yuri was quaint and warm, and gifted to them by Hashirama when he learned of her pregnancy. She had proudly shown Madara and Izuna the house when it was furnished. His breath caught a moment when he remembered how happy she smiled, a hand on her bulging stomach and the other in her husband's grip. She was a staunch supporter of the alliance with the Senju and was glad he had been able to put aside his grievances with Hashirama for the sake of peace and was a constant reminder to him that it was time to move into the future for the protection and safety of their children.

Izuna stood at their arrival.

"You came," he breathed with relief, looking at Sakura.

"Where is she?" Sakura asked seriously. Her demeanor had changed, she stood taller and straighter, and her eyes become more focused.

Izuna led her inside, and Itachi and Madara followed behind her. Madara saw that Itachi stayed close to the door, and didn't seem entirely comfortable. On entry to the house, Madara saw that what was once a comfortable sitting area had effectively become a sick room. All the chairs and tables were stacked against the wall, and Matsuri lay on a futon. Her hair was soaked with sweat, her face flushed, and brow clenched in pain. Yuri held her hand and looked at his wife with intense worry.

Madara clenched his jaw, feeling sick to his stomach at the sight of her in so much pain.

Sakura knelt beside her.

"Who are you?" Yuri asked her.

"I'm a medic. My name is Sakura," she answered him.

Yuri looked up and saw Madara.

"You're here," he said, his voice strained. Madara nodded. "She was asking for you."

Madara felt his heart clench at that, and guilt wrapped its hand around it.

"What's her name?" Sakura asked, interrupting the short conversation.

"Matsuri," Yuri answer thickly.

"How long has she been like this?"

"She started having pain in her stomach this morning. She's been like this for a few hours," Yuri replied.

Sakura frowned.

"How far along is she?"

"Uhh, seven, no eight months."

Madara watched Sakura work. She placed her hands over Matsuri's belly, her hands glowing green. He saw her jaw twitch and eyebrows furrow.

She leaned over to Matsuri and spoke softly to her.

"Hey, can you hear me, Matsuri?"

Matsuri's eyes fluttered open.

"Who are you?" She croaked out.

"I'm Sakura. I'm going to help you and your baby, all right?"

"Is my baby okay?" She asked, panic in her voice though it was rough. She moaned in pain.

"You'll both be fine," Sakura said reassuringly, smoothing her hand over Matsuri's forehead.

She looked up at them. Her eyes were hard and focused, she was in her element, Madara realised. There was no timidity or hesitation in her, she radiated confidence.

"I need water, towels, and someone to find the closest person who has experience with childbirth."

The room was still. No one moved, and everyone just stood there, staring at Sakura. Madara saw her anger flare.

"What the hell are you just standing there for?" She raged. "Izuna, go find someone who understands childbirth and hurry the hell up."

Izuna startled and nodded, fleeing the house at her order.

"Madara, collect some water in a bucket and bring it back."

Madara had never been ordered like that before.

"Itachi, go and find some damn towels."

"What's going on?"

Madara faintly heard Yuri ask as he headed out the door, to do whatever Sakura asked. He was slightly dazed, seeing her take control like that had shocked him and her tone made him feel intimidated by her. He felt a little disoriented at the feeling, he wasn't used to feeling intimidated by anyone.

"We need to deliver the baby. Now," Sakura replied. "You need to be strong…"

* * *

Madara, Izuna, and Itachi had been forced out of the house while Sakura worked. She had barked orders at them until they annoyed her enough with their incompetence that she made them get out altogether. Izuna paced with anxiety and impatience, while both Itachi and Madara were still. Itachi leaned against a tree, his eyes closed. Madara sat on a large boulder by the house.

They were waiting, useless to aide her. They could feel her chakra working, a steady stream, flowing. It had been hours, and Itachi was feeling worried. He was constantly reminding himself that she was the greatest medical ninja of the generation. She had been trained by the Legendary Sannin, Tsunade Senju, herself. Sakura knew what she was doing.

Itachi's head snapped up when he felt her release a large portion of chakra. He moved to the door in an instant and walked inside to see her removing the baby from Matsuri's stomach. She had released her seal, black lines marked her face and wrapped around the baby in her arms. She was sweating, her eyes closed and concentrating hard.

Itachi swallowed at the sight. He was both horrified and proud.

"Sakura, she's still bleeding," the old woman said.

"Just a second," Sakura grunted.

The baby started crying and Sakura's eyes snapped open. Itachi was aware of the two Uchiha behind him and took another half step into the house to allow them entry, though his eyes never left Sakura. She handed the crying baby over to the woman, the black lines receded from him, and with swiftness, she pulled removed something connected to the cord of the baby from Matsuri.

"Don't cut it yet," she told the old woman, who wrapped the baby in a towel, an proceeded to care for the infant.

With a grunt of effort, Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and laid her hand on the stomach of Matsuri, extended the black of her seal to the woman.

They all watched in amazement as the slice on her belly slowly healed with a hiss of steam.

Sakura stayed like that, pouring chakra into Matsuri. After a minute, she started panting and sweating.

"Sakura - " Izuna tried to speak.

"Shut up," she snapped. "I'm concentrating."

A moment later, she released the seal from the body of Matsuri.

"Let me see the baby again," she said tiredly.

She took the baby, who had calmed, in her arms and gave a soft, tired, smile. The black lines of her seal receded back into the purple rhombus on her forehead.

The entire scene was so intimate and heartbreakingly beautiful that Itachi had to turn away. He had never seen a baby be born, naturally or otherwise, or seen Sakura show such a tender face. She was talking again, telling Yuri that everything was going to be okay. That the baby, although a little small, and out in the world a little early, was healthy, and that Matsuri just needed some more rest and would wake up soon. She passed the baby back to the old Uchiha woman, who she told to watch over and care for. The woman looked to be in awe of Sakura, but she nodded and thanked Sakura for everything she'd done. Itachi had the impression that both the child and mother had come close to dying.

Sakura had blood covering her hands and little spots of it on her clothes and face. But mostly she just looked exhausted. She hadn't eaten or had any nourishment since she woke, which was less than thirty minutes before Madara had dragged her to help. Sakura moved lethargically until Madara stepped forward and caught her hand.

"Stop now," he ordered her, his voice strangely gentle.

She shook her head.

"I need to help clean. My hands are bloody, let go."

Madara refused.

"Sakura, your work is finished. It's time for you to rest."

Itachi swallowed, feeling a strange lump in his throat at the unexpected intimacy of Madara's interaction with her. He had never seen Madara act so gently before. He looked at the slow-blinking Sakura, who seemed to stare at Madara with a dazed expression. Her eyes drifted over to Itachi, and he saw them glaze over. Sakura gave him a little smile and then collapsed in Madara's arms.

Madara quickly scooped her into his arms, turned and passed her to Itachi, who took her from him wordlessly.

"It seems our family's debt to her continues to grow," Madara murmured quietly.

Itachi nodded.

"Her debt, to my family and yours, can never be repaid."

Madara met his eyes, questions swimming in them.

"You should take her to Hashirama, her chakra level is low and he can help her better than I," he told him. "When Matsuri and the baby are recovered, we will hold a celebratory banquet, to honor her. Izuna will tell you when it's settled."

Itachi was surprised, but he nodded, too overwhelmed to remember to tell him he shouldn't bother, she wouldn't like it, they couldn't risk too much exposure.

"She'll want to come back when she wakes," was all he said.

"Of course," Madara replied. "Matsuri will want to thank her."

Itachi looked back over at the new family, and then down at Sakura. Sometimes he forgot how amazing and important she could be. Not this time.

* * *

Sakura spent another one-and-a-half days recovering from her chakra depletion and scowled when she realised she's spent almost a week in bed because of fainting. It was ridiculous to her. To be bedridden from nightmares, and panic attacks, and chakra depletion. She'd never felt so utterly pathetic. No, that was a lie. She had felt pathetic before. But now, she felt pathetic in a tired and worried way.

Professionally, she understood that her mind was trying to recover from trauma. She wasn't coping, not like she hoped, from what Asura and Indra had told her, or from the nightmares that still plagued her about the war. Personally, she wanted to kick herself for being so weak.

It wasn't until she saw Matsuri and the baby again that she forgave herself a little. Matsuri had cried and thanked her for saving her life, and for saving her baby. Yuri had hugged her so tightly she felt like she was about to break in half. They told her that if the baby was a girl, they would have named it after her. But it was a boy.

"As honoured as I would be, it's not necessary," Sakura assured them. "All I need in return is for you to live as happy and beautiful lives as you can."

Matsuri had given her a teary smile.

"We named him Kagami," she told her.

It wasn't until Sakura told Itachi that she understood the significance of what she had done.

"Kagami is Shisui's grandfather."

Sakura had been left speechless. Unborn Kagami had been in distress when she'd arrived at the house to treat Matsuri. There was a chance that he would have survived, but it was almost certain that if Sakura hadn't been there, Matsuri would have died.

"In our time, after the death of Izuna, there were still battles fought between the Uchiha and the Senju," Itachi told her when she voiced how scared she was about how much she might have changed. "But in this era, it's already different. It's possible that the alliance happening earlier affected her pregnancy in ways we don't understand."

"Shisui might never have been born if I wasn't here," Sakura whispered, horrified. "He might never be born because I  _am_  here."

She couldn't imagine it. She could barely imagine all her friends never existing, she hated to even acknowledge the possibility. Shisui was the first person whose future possibilities they'd had a real hand in, one they could truly acknowledge.

Shisui was, without a doubt, as important to her as Itachi was. He had become a part of her extended family after Sasuke left, and when Tsunade became the Hokage and Sakura put together the reality of how strained the relationship between the village and the Uchiha was. She made it her business to do whatever she could to change it. Looking back, she realised how stupid she had been, how dangerous a situation she had put herself in. But it was because of her actions that she had gotten to know Shisui and Itachi better. She could never regret what she did, especially not when Fugaku, Shisui, and Itachi had all bowed at her feet in gratitude. That was a day she would never forget because it was one she never saw coming. It wasn't until that moment she realised the gravity of what she had done was, and what it meant to and for them.

Shisui was her friend, training partner, confidant. He came to her with wounds to heal, he listened to her questions and helped expand her knowledge of the shinobi world. He was her conspirator at the dinner table of the main Uchiha household, in making sure the conversation never faltered and everyone was involved, no matter how much they resisted.

Sakura swore to do everything she could to make certain that Kagami Uchiha grew up happily and have children that would lead to Shisui Uchiha.


	11. Part Four: Somewhere Like Home

 

**Part Four: Somewhere Like Home**

**Chapter 11**

Sakura sat with Matsuri and Kagami along the banks of the river, enjoying the sun and company. As much as she liked spending time with Itachi, it was nice to have female company. She had stopped by the house to check on Matsuri and Kagami once a day since she recovered from her chakra depletion, and happily formed a quick friendship with Matsuri.

Kagami gurgled in the arms of his mother and Sakura looked down at the baby boy and smiled. He was less than two weeks old, but he had grown quite a lot in the short amount of time since his birth. Sakura wasn't a stranger to babies, but they weren't her area of expertise and she had been sick with anxiety the entirety of the operation. If she didn't have her Strength of a Hundred Seal, maybe things would have turned out differently. After discovering Kagami was the grandfather of Shisui, she was even more invested in his health and well-being.

Sakura quickly learned that Matsuri was a precious friend to Izuna and Madara. Izuna also visited their home everyday to check on them both, and Sakura found herself amused by the interactions between Izuna and Matsuri. They squabbled like real siblings, often about the smallest and most ridiculous things that made Izuna storm off and then return an hour later to apologise. The first time it happened, Yuri stopped Sakura from running off after him, telling her that he would be back soon enough.

Sakura really liked both Yuri and Matsuri. Matsuri was more outgoing and teasing, quick to laugh and smile. Yuri was quieter, more serious, yet very affectionate towards his wife and child, and most importantly, he was very kind. Sakura teared up when she realised that the Shisui she knew had inherited much of both his great-grandparents dispositions.

Matsuri had taken to gossiping about Madara to Sakura, telling her stories about his exploits as a boy and teenager. Sakura hadn't thought to ask before, but she found out that Madara and Hashirama were only two years older than Itachi. She was awed thinking that they were barely 24 and already building the village, and Matsuri was only too happy to let Sakura know that although he was an extremely strong and formidable shinobi, he was still just a man who had once been a boy. All her teasing was done with strong affection and Sakura found herself drawn in by all the new things that she was learning about him.

"Madara hates people watching him," Matsuri told her. "He's actually quite shy, behind that haughty, I'm-the-serious-leader face of his," she said with a giggle.

Sakura raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"I would never guess that," she said flatly.

Shy is not the word she would use to describe Madara Uchiha. To her, he was something closer to aloof. Although her past experiences with the Uchiha's did make her wonder. They were usually more than they appeared to be.

Matsuri rocked Kagami in her arms.

"His father was… well, he held high expectations for his sons, especially Madara. He was a prodigy, so talented so young." Matsuri sighed. "Madara was a lot more open and expressive when he was younger. He used to shout and curse, although he didn't laugh that much unless it was with Izuna. But, that day… the day he awakened his Sharingan…" A dark look crossed Matsuri's face. "He closed himself off afterwards. Izuna was so overjoyed that he'd finally activated his Sharingan, it was like they couldn't see…" Matsuri trailed off.

"See what?" Sakura urged.

She was fascinated and interested. She'd never heard so much about Madara, from someone who knew him like Matsuri did. It could be helpful, later on, to have a better understanding of him, and maybe even help her nightmares.

Matsuri sighed.

"I think they believed his Sharingan activated because he suddenly discovered his friend was Hashirama Senju, and felt hatred and betrayal towards him for that. Izuna and his father were glad that he had a newfound anger and hatred towards Hashirama and the Senju, because he'd been a little less enthusiastic about war at the time. But that's not what I think," she said. "I think it was the pain of grief that awakened it."

"Grief?" Sakura asked surprised.

She nodded solemnly.

"He realised that the boy who he'd grown close to and dreamed of the future with was his enemy. That everything they'd talked about and he'd allowed himself to hope for was gone. He lost his best friend, and knew he was going to be fighting him the rest of their lives. But," Matsuri brightened suddenly, "being here, spending time with Hashirama again, the boy he locked away in his heart is slowly coming back."

Sakura looked away thoughtfully at the river.

"I'd like to see that person," she said.

"Well," Matsuri said with a playful elbow, "I hope we all can. But when the other women see his true self, you're going to have some competition."

Sakura blushed furiously and stuttered.

"That's not - I - ugh, Matsuri!" She put her face in her hands, embarrassed.

"Don't forget about Izuna as well!" She giggled. "I don't know what you did to him, but he's taken quite the liking to you."

Sakura groaned. She'd suspected as much, but she didn't want it to be confirmed. She couldn't see past the part of him that looked like Sasuke, and even without, she just didn't feel anything more than a vague friendship for him.

"It's projection," Sakura said. "He's just grateful I saved his life."

Matsuri laughed.

"I'm only teasing you," she said. "In any case, you already have a handsome husband."

"Itachi isn't my husband," Sakura said with a laugh.

"Really?" Matsuri frowned. "There's nothing between the two of you? But you live together, and you came here together. You're very comfortable with one another."

Sakura shrugged.

"He's…I've known him for a long time. He's a good friend."

She thought about what Matsuri said. They were comfortable with each other. More than Sakura had ever thought they would be, but she wondered if that was just because of their current circumstances. They didn't have a choice if they wanted to survive. Perhaps they were just clinging to each other in an attempt to keep part of their old lives close. In their old life, she and Itachi were friends, good friends even. But she wouldn't go as far as to they he was a close friend, not in the same way that her classmates were. But then again, he was older, he was supposed to be the next clan leader, and he was a very popular, in demand, powerful shinobi in the village. The only person she knew he was close to was Shisui, the only other people he spent time with was Kakashi, and she thought with a sudden jolt, herself. How had she not seen that before? Maybe they were closer than she thought. It made her feel strangely happy.

They sat in silence for a moment. The wind was warm but not unpleasant and the sound of the river was soothing. Sakura basked in the sunlight, finding some pleasure in getting her head out of the scrolls that filled the house, and did her best not to think too deeply about Itachi, in case she felt guilty about leaving him there alone.

"Do you mind if I ask something personal?" Matsuri inquired, interrupting Sakura's thoughts.

Sakura shrugged.

"Sure."

Although she was slightly hesitant about it.

"Yuri was there, the day that you and Itachi suddenly appeared on the battlefield, he told me it was very strange and with some powerful chakra-fuelled transportation, though he didn't know what it was," Sakura shifted uncomfortably. Matsuri went on, "Izuna said that you don't know how you came here."

Sakura didn't want to have to lie to Matsuri, but she didn't know how to talk about this either, she wasn't supposed to talk at all, especially out in the open like they were. She waited for Matsuri's questions.

"What happened… to your loved ones, where you came from?"

It wasn't the question she was expecting and felt some relief that it wasn't something more complicated. But it also wasn't something nice for her to think about either; it was the question that she played over in her mind every night before sleep, and the one that made her dream of all the terrible futures that might happen with them never exist because of something she could do. Sakura let out a little breath.

"I'm not sure," she said after a moment, glancing at the sleeping Kagami. "Itachi and I… we didn't  _choose_  to leave them, and now I don't think I'll ever really know what happened or what will happen. We can't ever go back where we came from."

"Why not?"

Sakura looked away.

"It's just not possible for us," she said quietly.

She could feel Matsuri's eyes on her, and the wave of sadness that washed from the woman to her. Kagami cooed in his sleep and Sakura turned back to look at him. She needed to focus on what she and Itachi were doing, and stop thinking about what was gone. The things she could control, the little bits of happiness she could find in this new and difficult life, she needed to hold onto them tightly.

"I'm sorry," Matsuri said quietly and regretfully. "It must be difficult for you to be separated from them." Matsuri put her hand on Sakura's arm and smiled kindly at her, though her eyes were a little sad. Sakura was glad there was no pity in them. "Even though we haven't known each other for very long, I hope you know you can come to me whenever you feel lost or alone. I'm not saying this because you saved my life and my precious son, but I truly feel a kinship with you, Sakura."

Sakura's heart pounded with feeling, and her cheeks felt suddenly hot. She felt her eyes water and she put a hand over them, and softly cried, feeling deep relief and gratitude towards the woman who was just two years older than herself.

"Thank you, Matsuri," Sakura sniffled, leaning over to hug her. "I feel the same."

* * *

"Konohagakure," Madara said to Tobirama.

Tobirama looked at him and forced himself not to roll his eyes. He looked over at Hashirama who was beaming beside the expressionless Madara. On second thoughts, Tobirama decided that expressionless was not accurate. There was a hint of excitement and pride in his eyes that didn't show on his face, but it was clear to Tobirama that the two of them had settled on an extremely simple and uncreative name for the village.

"The Village Hidden in the Leaves," Tobirama said flatly. "You're certain that's the name you want to go with?"

"Madara came up with it," Hashirama told him with some pride in his voice.

Tobirama really did roll his eyes.

"Why am I not surprised that neither of you could think of a half-decent name."

Madara folded his arms over his chest, clearly offended.

"As if you could do better."

The issue wasn't that Tobirama couldn't do better, so he didn't respond and held his anger in check when he heard Madara mutter a smug, "I thought so," under his breath.

He handed a scroll over to them and Madara took it.

"From the Sarutobi and Shimura clans," Tobirama said. "They're on their way, and spread the word to other clans in the Land of Fire."

Madara looked over the scroll, while Hashirama soaked in the news.

"It's really happening, isn't it?" He asked in a daze.

Madara smacked Hashirama over the head with the scroll and scowled at him.

"Of course it is you fool," he said with some irritability. "You're the one who started this, why are you so surprised?"

Hashirama sunk into his chair.

"You didn't have to hit me," he said, taking the scroll and reading over it.

"Someone needs too," Tobirama said. He glanced at Madara. "Where is your brother?" He asked.

"Attending to clan matters," Madara replied. "I've delegated some responsibilities to him for the moment."

Tobirama nodded. He was almost glad that Izuna hadn't been around much, it had given him a rare chance to see Madara act without thought to what his brother might think, and the results had been interesting. He'd never seen the Uchiha more expressive than he was with Hashirama, and he suspected he was even more open when it was just them alone.

"Are the preparations underway?" Tobirama asked him.

Madara frowned.

"Of course they are," he replied. "Everything is going smoothly."

Tobirama nodded, feeling some stress. "The festival must be a success. I've secured a meeting with the Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi."

Madara's eyes widened slightly and he gave a stiff nod that Tobirama had come to recognise as one he gave when he felt nervous.

"Hashirama." Tobirama gained his brother's attention. "Did you hear what I said?"

He shook his head.

"No, sorry, I wasn't listening."

Madara sighed.

"The Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi clans will be here for a meeting during the festival."

Hashirama's mouth gaped.

"It's certain?"

"No," Madara said dryly. "Your brother is known for his sarcastic humour."

Both Tobirama and Hashirama stared at Madara. Who folded his arms tighter across his chest in response to their looks of confusion and amazement.

"I can joke at times," he muttered under his breath.

Hashirama's shoulders started to shake, and he clapped a hand over his mouth. Tobirama turned his face away and bit his lip to stop the smile and laugh that threatened. In a storm of embarrassment, Madara stomped out of the room and slammed the room behind him.

Hashirama stopped his laughter, mostly, and turned to Tobirama.

"Hokage," he said. At the look of confusion on Tobirama's face, he explained. "The leader of Konoha will be named the Hokage."

"Fire Shadow," Tobirama murmured. "Fitting, I suppose, for someone who must have a strong Will of Fire to guide the people."

"I want it to be Madara," Hashirama said seriously.

Tobirama started.

"Madara?"

Unsaid between them was the doubt that Madara possessed the Will of Fire. Instead of voicing his doubt, Tobirama merely shook his head.

"You can't make that decision on your own. We are not going to do things the way father did them. This will be done democratically, or not at all."

Hashirama sat back in his seat.

"Let's talk about this another time," he said, looking out the window thoughtfully. "I'd like to speak with Sakura."

"Sakura?" Tobirama was surprised. "Why?" He shook his head. "You've got a village to run, and a festival to organise."

Hashirama cut his eyes to Tobirama.

"If I find what I'm after, I'll tell you. In the meantime - " he stood and walked to the door, " - enjoy preparing the village for the festival!"

Tobirama watched as he disappeared and felt another of his urges to chase after his brother and strangle him. Instead he sighed, sat heavily in his chair, and rubbed his face with his hands. While Tobirama still held a lot of doubt towards Madara, that wasn't what held him back from wanting him to have the power of a leader in the village. He genuinely believed that Hashirama was the leader. He was the founder and looked to person that even the Uchiha recognised. Madara stood beside him, but he wasn't the one they looked to first and foremost for leadership. It didn't make his presence less necessary however, but Tobirama was concerned that it wouldn't be easy to make him understand that, and the discussion of village leadership might go very wrongly.

* * *

Hashirama found Sakura walking leisurely in the direction of her house. He watched her for a moment, not wanting to interrupt her and remove the rare look of contentment he saw on her face. Usually, the young woman's shoulders were tensed, her face guarded and her entire body ready to spring into action. Hashirama had begun to associate her with a sense of concern over her well-being, but in that moment, she seemed like any other person in the village.

"Sakura," he called out cheerfully to her.

She tensed slightly at his voice, turned and then gave him a happy smile.

"Good afternoon, Hashirama," she said politely.

Her guardedness had returned, and he fought back a frown. He had decided that he wouldn't push any further into the private affairs of her and Itachi, but he couldn't deny his curiosity. Any lingering doubts he had about their sincerity in wanting to protect the village were washed away almost two weeks ago when Itachi had carried her through his doorway, unconscious and seriously depleted in chakra.

When he and Tobirama had asked about what happened, Itachi explained that she had been asked by Madara to help one of his clanswomen who was heavily pregnant and ill. She had performed an emergency birth surgery and used almost all her chakra to save the premature baby and mother from dying. She had been successful.

Even Tobirama had to agree that her actions had finally proven she wasn't a threat to them. But unknown to Sakura and Itachi, he had hidden himself away using his wood-style when she'd woken up, and Hashirama had overheard them talking in hushed and rushed tones.

_"Kagami is Shisui's grandfather."_

_"We… it's different, it's already different. What if we're wrong? I'm wrong? I can't… Shisui… What have I done?"_

_"In our time, after the death of Izuna, there were still battles fought between the Uchiha and the Senju. But in this era, it's already different. It's possible that the alliance happening earlier affected her pregnancy in ways we don't understand."_

_"Shisui might never have been born if I wasn't here. He might never be born because I_  am _here."_

It was enough to confirm his suspicions that the pair of them were more than they appeared. But being from the future wasn't exactly what he had imagined. It made sense, however, when he considered how adamant Sakura had been when she said she would defend the village with her life - that she'd already done that. This was her village, her home. It made Hashirama feel a mix of surprise and pleasure when he realised that the village had lasted and thrived, for however far into the future they came from.

But Izuna's death…That was something that had forced Hashirama to consider their words more carefully. How far into the future had they come from? It was clearly a future that had a different past to what was currently happening. Izuna was still alive, the battles between the Uchiha and Senju were finished.

The question was, what were they really here for? Somehow, the two of them had come back from the future, and he knew it had something to do with both him and Madara. So what was the reason? He felt anxiety at the uncertainty, what had happened or what would happen to either of them, that it was necessary to find some impossible way to come back and change it.

"What brings you here?" Sakura asked.

"A chance for some friendly conversation and perhaps, some tea," Hashirama replied.

Sakura glanced in the direction of the house.

"I think Itachi is busy," she murmured.

Hashirama was sure to keep his hands clasped together.

"Ah, well. It is perhaps more than a friendly conversation I was hoping to have."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" She asked. "Do you need some of the scrolls back."

"No, no. Not yet," Hashirama said. "Oh, I wanted to tell you, Madara decided upon the name of the Village today."

Sakura's eyes widened slightly.

"Oh. What did he decide?"

"Konohagakure," Hashirama said.

He gauged her reaction. She wouldn't make for a very convincing spy, Hashirama decided. Though she definitely tried to look surprised, he could see that she wasn't genuinely feeling it. There was a fond and sad look in her smile that tugged at Hashirama's heart.

"It's a wonderful name," she said softly.

"Yes well, he didn't try that hard," Hashirama said, remembering Madara hold the leaf to his eye.

Sakura gave him a funny look but didn't reply. He wondered how to subtly hint that he was aware of their secret. She seemed reluctant to take her to the house, and from what he'd seen so far, both her and Itachi didn't want to talk about anything too serious without being protected with some kind of silencing seal.

"I'd like to talk to you privately," he said finally.

Sakura frowned.

"Is it serious?"

"Perhaps," he said vaguely. "I'd like to know…about Shisui."

Sakura froze.

"Who is that?" She asked nervously.

"I believe he's the future grandson of Kagami Uchiha," Hashirama said looking directly at her.

"H-how did you.. hear that name?" She asked him, looking right back. "We're you spying on us?"

Hashirama only gave her a firm look.

"Maybe we should go to your house and I can explain it within the fortress you and Itachi have created."

Sakura visibly swallowed and turned away, walking to the house, stiff and suddenly afraid. Hashirama wanted to comfort her, to apologise for sinking so low as to spy on them, but he didn't. It wasn't the time for that, it was the time for some answers.

Sakura was silent as she closed the door to the house behind him and slipped off her shoes. Itachi was sitting on the couch, reading over a scroll, and looked up when he heard the door open. It seemed as though he was going to greet them when he saw Sakura's face. Hashirama couldn't see what she looked like, but it was bad enough for Itachi to stay quiet and frown.

"I'll make some tea," Sakura murmured.

Hashirama sat on the chair across from Itachi, who had put down the scroll he was reading and looked carefully between Hashirama and the stiff back of Sakura through the archway to the kitchen.

"What happened?" He asked eventually.

The hot water boiled, letting a hiss of steam through the spout of the teapot. Hashirama didn't respond. He kept his eyes on Sakura's back and waited for her to return. She brought out a tray with the teapot and three cups on it and poured three cups of tea, before she sat beside Itachi.

"Sakura." Itachi sounded concerned. "What happened?"

"He wants to know…about Shisui," Sakura replied.

Itachi, to his credit, didn't react openly. He merely looked from Sakura to Hashirama and made an assumption.

"I assume you heard that entire conversation then."

Hashirama nodded.

"Don't be reticent, Hashirama Senju. Speak your mind," Itachi said with a hint of the infamous Uchiha impatience in his tone.

"It's quite easy to see the family resemblance now," Hashirama said with a chuckle. "I don't know why we didn't see it before you told us. You truly are an Uchiha."

Itachi stared at him unimpressed, and Sakura looked warily at him with a growing glint of irritation in her eyes.

He let out a sigh.

"You are from the future," he stated.

Sakura and Itachi glanced at one another, silent communication passing between them. Finally, they nodded. Hashirama felt a satisfaction at his theory being confirmed.

"Why?" He asked. "What happened that made you come back?"

"We can't tell you," Sakura said.

"Why not?" Hashirama frowned.

"Because we don't want to influence your decisions about the future of Konoha or anything else," Sakura said.

Itachi's mouth lifted slightly.

"So the village is named then?"

Hashirama nodded to him and ran a hand through his hair.

"Of course I understand what you mean, but," he let out a huff of frustration. "I just feel like there's something that I should be doing to help you."

To his surprise Sakura let out a small laugh.

"You really do remind me of Naruto," she said.

"Sakura," Itachi sighed.

"What? It's not like him knowing Naruto's name is going to change anything." Sakura said with some defiance. She looked back at Hashirama. "Knowing we're from the future, knowing that we can't tell you very much about it, yet you still want to help. I have - had a friend who was like you."

"Have you told anyone else about this?" Itachi asked him.

"No. But, no doubt Tobirama has his own suspicions. Madara and Izuna too, although they won't believe it unless you can prove it," Hashirama replied. "They're more…cynical than me, I suppose."

"Or they respect our privacy more," Sakura said, giving him a small glare.

Hashirama let out a laugh.

"I think they might just be a little afraid of you, Sakura." At Sakura's confused look, he laughed again. "I can't say much for Izuna, but when Madara told me what you did for his friend and her baby, he spoke with great respect for your skill and was a little shaky when he told me how your temper was."

Sakura blushed, and Itachi smirked.

"I was trying to save lives," she muttered with some embarrassment.

"Don't be embarrassed," Hashirama grinned. "It's good for Madara to get ordered around sometimes and remember he's as human as the rest of us."

Sakura glanced at him.

"If he left the village, would you die to bring him home?" She asked suddenly. "How far would you be willing to go to for him?"

Itachi gave her a look of warning, which she ignored, instead choosing to stare intensely at Hashirama.

Hashirama blinked.

"Madara is my friend, my brother. I would give up my life for him," he answered with conviction.

Sakura stared a few seconds longer and then sat back, satisfied.

"Is that why you're here?" He asked, suddenly desperate to know. "Is something going to happen to Madara?"

"We are here to stop it from happening," Itachi replied with some reluctance.

"Stop what? What is going to happen?" Hashirama demanded.

Unconsciously, his anger and fear released some chakra and he saw Sakura flinch away from him, and Itachi wince slightly. He took a breath and controlled himself again.

"I asked you once before, and I'll ask you again: What do you need me to do?" He asked in a far calmer voice.

"Never give up on him," Sakura said seriously. "Just never, ever give up."

Hashirama nodded slowly. It was a simple request, an easy, almost, but the gravity with which she said it made him worried. Did he, in their past, give up on Madara at some point? Did Madara become someone worth giving up on? He took a shaky breath in and released it.

"On to some lighter news," he announced brightly, shifting the atmosphere in the room. Sakura and Itachi looked at him expectation. "We're holding a festival."

"A festival?" Sakura asked. "Really?"

Hashirama nodded.

"Yes. In a weeks time. The Sarutobi and Shimura clans have decided to join the village."

Sakura's eyes lit up, but Hashirama saw the sudden change in expression in Itachi. He eyed the man carefully before continuing.

"It'll be for three days, and… well, Tobirama had an idea."

Sakura frowned. "That can't be a good thing."

Hashirama laughed, and Sakura gave him a little smile.

"On the second afternoon, he had an idea for a…fighting festival."

"No."

Her answer was immediate.

Hashirama pouted.

"I thought you would say that."

"Now that you know and seem to understand and accept our reasons for being here, surely you should also understand why we can't participate in something like that," Itachi reasoned.

Hashirama saw the look that passed over his face before was now gone.

"Please?" Hashirama pleaded.

Sakura shook her head.

"Pretty please?"

He held out his hand, and using his wood-style, creating a flower for her. Sakura giggled and took it from him.

"Nice try," she said, rolling her eyes, but sniffing the flower. "Bribes don't work on me."

Hashirama folded his arms over his chest and pouted more deeply.

"I had thought that we were becoming friends. Maybe that's just me. You probably know all sorts of things about me since you're from the future, but I don't really know anything about you. Now Tobirama's going to be upset and I'm going to have to think of some way to make him happy and it's so hard because he's so stubborn and grumpy," he sighed dramatically. "I guess I'm just I'm a failure."

He peeked at Sakura and Itachi under his lashes. They seemed thoroughly unimpressed with his rambling attempt at manipulation. He slumped his shoulders in defeat and waited for one of them to crack.

Finally, after thirty long seconds of silence, he heard Sakura let out a heaving sigh.

"Fine," she snapped. "I'll participate in your stupid festival. I want to beat Tobirama's stupid frown off his face anyway."

Hashirama's head snapped up and his posture straightened and he beamed in delight.

"I will not," Itachi said, folding his arms over his chest. "I do not believe it wise for either of us to participate, however, considering the fact that I am an Uchiha, but none of the clan other than Madara and Izuna know this, it wouldn't be wise to risk possible exposure."

Hashirama nodded reluctantly.

"Very well, I suppose. Can you tell me about the village, at least? And how the Uchiha have fared?"

"Our future… the village was mostly wonderful," Sakura said. "The Uchiha…" she looked at Itachi.

"The Uchiha had a strained relationship with the village elders," Itachi said shortly. "It was never a fully stable relationship, but they remained part of the village."

Hashirama felt his smile drop. He looked between the two of them.

"Well. We'll just have to do our best to make sure that doesn't happen."

Sakura smiled at him, and looked at Itachi. But Itachi was looking away, and a slightly dark expression was forming on his face.

"Yes," he said quietly. "We will."

* * *

That night, Itachi dreamed of Izumi.

_He held baby Sasuke, and ran with Izumi while the Nine-Tails attacked the village._

_Izumi wanting to hold Sasuke, and him crying and pushing her away._

_Izumi and him eating dango at the lake, her smiling sweetly at him._

_Izumi protecting him, even when he didn't need it._

_Watching Izumi on the monitors at ANBU. Reading up about her progress. Dreaming about her._

_Izumi's smile. Izumi's laugh. Izumi's touch on his skin. The warmth of her hand. The first touch of her lips on his._

_The wetness of her blood when he found her body._

_The coldness of her skin. The hollow black and red where her eyes were missing._

He woke, blinking in the darkness feeling a hot hand squeezing his own. He turned his head and looked at Sakura, who was turned away from him, but her hand had reached for his hand under hers and his blankets.

"It's okay, Itachi," she whispered in the darkness. "You can let it out."

Itachi reached his other hand up to his face, and felt tears running from his eyes.

Unable to hold it in any longer, to hide it from Sakura anymore, he let it out. Sobs racked his body, and his hand covered his face. He lay there, shaking and sweating, squeezing Sakura's hand under the blanket, grateful that she didn't turn and see him in this state, grateful that she was there, grateful for her comforting touch.

When his crying quietened, Sakura released his hand and stood.

"I'm going to get you some water," she said quietly.

Itachi sat up, wiped his eyes, and ran a hand through his hair. He cleared his throat and waited for Sakura to return, trying not to feel ashamed to her witnessing such a display.

She came back and knelt on her futon, passing the water to him. He took a sip from it and placed it on the floor. She was looking down, giving him privacy.

"Thank you, Sakura," he said.

She looked up at him, her lips lifted the tiniest amount.

"We're both a bit of a mess, aren't we?" She said, almost joking.

He inclined his head slightly in agreement.

She let out a soft breath.

"Most of the time, I'm really fine around Madara. But every now and again, I see the look in his eyes, almost the same as when we were at war, and..." she shook her head. "I don't know. I just see things, and I can't control myself. It's so hard not to scream."

He swallowed, knowing how hard it was for her to say it. They had decided not to talk about it, but now, they both needed to get it out of their heads.

"It's Izumi." His voice was barely loud enough to register. He glanced at her, she sat patiently. "Do you know how she died?"

Sakura shook her head.

"Someone stole her eyes," Itachi said harshly. "They made sure I was the one who found her."

Sakura's eyes opened in shock and disgust.

"I'm so sorry, Itachi."

His fists clenched in his sheets. He took some more water and laid back down. She did the same. Their hands somehow found their way back together.

"It was Danzo, wasn't it?" Sakura asked after a few minutes of silence.

Itachi didn't reply.

"Itachi...what are you thinking?"

Itachi remained quiet. He didn't know what he was planning, if he was planning anything.

"Itachi, just…" she trailed off and squeezed his hand. "Just don't do something you'll regret."

Itachi pulled his hand out of hers, feeling cold without her touch and turned on his side away from her. He lay there, no longer tired, staring at the wall in the darkness. Eventually, he heard Sakura's breathing even out and deepen as she fell asleep.

He began to wonder how they could create a better future for his clan, for the village, perhaps for the rest of the world, if Danzo Shimura lived.

He only came to one conclusion.

Danzo Shimura couldn't be allowed to live.


	12. Part Four: Somewhere Like Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just FYI..
> 
> \- Izuna is suffering from the Uchiha Curse of Hatred. He's just struggling to reconcile peace and the Senju alliance as 'good,' and is everything that Itachi doesn't like about his clan, that's why Itachi doesn't like him that much, same with Tobirama. They can see it in him. But more on Izuna's development later :)
> 
> \- Izumi and Itachi were together before she died...there will be more of this in chapter 17.
> 
> \- Also - Sakura wasn't fainting because she's a 'girl' - sorry if it comes off that way. Sakura fainted the first time because she was mentally and physically exhausted by the time-travel, saving Izuna, and lack of proper nutrition while they were traveling. The second time was because after meeting with Asura and Indra she had some emotional and psychological trauma from what she found out. The third time was a panic attack/little PTSD, and the last time was because of chakra exhaustion since she also hadn't recovered from the third time. I don't believe its OCC either because she is prone to fainting in canon as well.

 

**Part Four: Somewhere Like Home**

**Chapter 12**

Itachi leaned over Sakura, holding her wrists down together with one hand, the other at her throat, and his leg held her legs firmly on the ground. She was pinned beneath him, glaring up at him with a pout that Itachi had often thought was very cute when she was trying to be intimidating.

"Yield," he said, the hint of a smug smile on his face.

Sakura's glare intensified.

"You cheated," she accused. "We said only taijutsu."

Itachi smirked.

 _"You_  said that. I never responded."

Sakura rolled her eyes, unimpressed.

"Seriously? You're such a cheater!"

"Stop complaining. Yield," he said again, smiling wider.

She let out an irate huff.

"Fine. I yield," she said begrudgingly.

Itachi let her go, pushing himself up to standing and brushing off the grass from his hand. He looked over to the tree line and gave a little sigh. Madara had been watching them the entire spar but hadn't come out yet.

"Madara's here," he said to Sakura.

"I know, he's not exactly hiding," she said. "He probably wants to fight you."

Her voice was a little distant, and Itachi frowned.

"Are you going to be okay if we do?" He asked her.

She snapped her head to him, her eyes narrowed.

"Don't patronize me, Itachi," she growled. "We have bigger things to worry about."

Itachi looked her over.

"We might have to fight him seriously one day. I need to know you're not going to have another episode."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched in anger.

"You stupid Uchiha!" She shouted and punched him.

If Itachi hadn't anticipated the blow, he would have been thrown into the trees behind him. Instead, she hit only air, but that was enough to send a wave of wind to rustle the leaves of the trees thirty meters behind them.

"That's not a nice thing to say."

"You're all stupid. Sasuke Uchiha might be the biggest idiot number one. Seriously. Uchiha's. Are. So. Stupid."

Sakura continued to rant and rave about the Uchiha's apparent stupidity, seemingly unaware that it wasn't Itachi who had spoken, but Madara, who had finally come out into the open and stood beside him. Itachi and Madara shared a slightly amused sidelong glance at Sakura waving her arms around. But Itachi knew that Madara had no idea who she was talking about when she mentioned Sasuke or Shisui, and from the interested look in his eyes, he would have questions for them later.

Sakura froze when she saw Madara, her face comically shocked before she reigned in her emotions, wiped her face into as expressionless as she could make it and gave a stiff greeting. Itachi couldn't help but smirk at her, she was daily entertainment.

"Good afternoon, Madara," she said, somewhat strained and nervously.

"And to you, Sakura," Madara replied courteously.

Sakura glanced at Itachi, who merely shrugged at her, enjoying her obvious discomfort. She glanced at the trees.

"I see you made it out of the spectator's area," she observed, laughing dryly.

Madara gave her a look, clearly also enjoying her discomfort.

"Yes," was all he replied.

An awkward silence fell over the three of them. Sakura shifted her weight between her feet. Madara looked at Itachi.

"I believe we arranged to battle," he said coolly.

Itachi gave a short nod in reply.

"Hashirama, Tobirama and my brother should be along soon," Madara said with a slightly bored and annoyed tone. "They wanted to watch. Or should we arrange another time?"

"I am prepared," Itachi replied. "I believe Sakura would prefer both of us to come out of the spar as unscathed as possible. Ninjutsu and taijutsu should suffice," Itachi offered.

Madara nodded.

"Fair."

Sakura snorted.

"Thanks for the consideration. Try not to break any bones," she said.

"I spoke with Matsuri this morning," Madara said to her.

Sakura perked up, and Itachi felt a pang of jealousy that she had made a friend outside of their mission. Not that he would call the Uchiha or Senju's friends, exactly, but Sakura was already integrating herself slowly into the community. Itachi had more barriers to hold him back, including his Uchiha blood, which, although Madara and Izuna had mostly accepted him as an Uchiha, he didn't know if he could ever truly be a part of the clan again. He was surprised by how upsetting that was to him.

"I haven't seen her for a few days," Sakura said. "She and Kagami were doing well."

"Yes. She wanted me to send you her greetings, and ask that you and Itachi come by soon. She has something she'd like to ask you," Madara said.

Itachi hadn't become close to either Matsuri or Yuri. He hadn't been to see them with Sakura at all. Surely the woman was just being polite in asking him to come as well.

"Thanks for telling me," Sakura replied to Madara, sounding happy.

It seemed to Itachi that Sakura was putting in a strong effort to become closer to Madara. If he was honest with himself, Itachi wasn't certain how he could be what Indra had asked of him. He was Sasuke's brother by blood, and yet he wasn't the one that was there to bring Sasuke back. He felt as though he had failed him. So what was he supposed to be with Madara? It had been troubling him.

Sakura waved a hand in front of his face, startling Itachi.

She gave him a smile.

"Welcome back," she said sweetly.

"My apologies," Itachi said quietly.

Sakura gave him a funny look and then looked between the two of them, biting her lip. It wasn't an expression she often wore, one of real hesitation and question and uncertainty. Something was bothering her. He waited for her to speak her mind, as did Madara, who watched her carefully.

"Itachi, I was wondering…" she trailed off and took a deep breath. "It seems like things are getting bigger now. Do you think the trees have ears?"

Itachi paused and considered what she said, while he saw that Madara looked at her with an expression that doubted her sanity.

"Perhaps," Itachi replied after a moment.

"Should I ask someone else?" She asked slowly. "Someone who can find others?"

"That might be a good idea," Itachi said slowly, deciphering what Sakura was saying.

She nodded and flashed a quick smile at Madara, who was looking between the two of them with a heavy amount of suspicion and irritation. He let out a sigh, and even pouted slightly, muttering something under his breath, that Itachi was sure would've made Sakura either laugh or be very angry if she heard it.

Sakura flashed her eyes to them.

"Don't hurt yourselves too badly, or  _I will_ make you suffer," she warned.

Itachi didn't bother to reply, having heard her threats many times before. He glanced at Madara, to see his response. He was surprised to see amusement and a little fear in the man's face, and then remembered how brutal Sakura had been towards him at Kagami's birth. Sakura had the ability to strike fear when she wanted to.

"Do you really think it's wise to threaten me?" He asked.

Sakura gave a cunning smile.

"Don't underestimate me, Madara. I've been spending a lot of time hearing stories from Matsuri these days."

Madara froze slightly.

She leaned forward and dramatically whispered, "I know about the apples."

Itachi had never seen Madara look so pale and terrified before. He cleared his throat and shook his head.

"Matsuri will be dealt with," he said darkly, and Sakura laughed. "Well. Sakura. I will have to discover stories about you, or perhaps, create them."

"Is that a challenge?" Sakura looked at him with some amazement and joy.

Madara smirked.

"It's not a challenge if I am guaranteed victory."

Itachi was well aware that Sakura had been the teammate of one of the most notorious pranksters in all of Konoha. As well as being acquainted with Shisui, who when the mood struck, joined Naruto, and Shisui, who loved tease Sakura often made her a target. Itachi felt an amount of pity for Madara, who didn't know what he was getting himself into.

"They have arrived," Itachi interrupted their conversation, sensing the approach of the others.

"Have fun," Sakura said to them. Itachi nodded and Sakura flickered away to greet the others.

He turned to Madara.

"Shall we begin?"

* * *

Things were happening in Konoha, the village was getting bigger and the word was spreading. Sakura and Itachi had spoken about what that meant for them: time was growing short. It wasn't obvious, it wasn't like they had any proof of it, it was just a feeling. But there was something on Sakura's mind, something about the way Madara was interacting with the others now, with her now.

She remembered what Asura and Indra had said to them,  _under the right circumstances…._

But she bit her lip. She felt like she wasn't doing enough. The Sakura who was friends with Naruto and Sasuke was together with them near constantly. Here, in this time, that just wasn't happening. She talked to both Hashirama and Madara alone at different times, but she felt like she needed time with them together, the three of them. It hurt her heart when she saw her old team together in her head when she thought about Madara and Hashirama. She shook her head. Was it really going to be okay? Time seemed to be pressing in on her, jarring her like a knife, telling her she wasn't working hard enough. But Itachi had a plan. The only plan that could work, and if  _it_  was here now… it would begin.

She sighed as she moved away from Madara and Itachi towards the other three coming from the woods. She waited for them at the tree line.

Izuna walked stiffly and with some clear distance away from the other two. He was not comfortable being alone with them, but he smiled at Sakura and relaxed a little when he saw her. Tobirama walked on the other side of Hashirama, close to his brother, who was looking at Sakura was a smile that she interpreted as ' _I'm-so-happy-I-know-all-your-secrets-because-now-we-can-really-be-friends.'_

"They're about to begin," Sakura said with a slightly forced smile. "You're right on time."

Tobirama looked her over, and she was surprised there was a little concern for her on his face. She wondered if Hashirama said anything to him. She searched his eyes for a moment, and then glanced at Hashirama, who gave her an almost imperceptible shake of his head. He hadn't said anything.

She turned back to Tobirama, guessing she probably looked stressed out and tried to appear slightly more relaxed. He gave her a questioning look with a single eyebrow raised. She just gave him a little shrug and more genuine smile.

"Hello," she greeted him.

"I hope you're ready for our fight," Tobirama told her, a little smirk on his face.

Sakura pounded one fist into her hand, less menacing than excited.

"I can't wait," she grinned.

She was glad there was no hostility at this moment between them. She'd come to believe that she could be really good friends with Tobirama if they could just stop butting heads and he stopped being such a stubborn jerk.

Sakura took the wide space between Izuna and Hashirama as hers to stand in, and lightly elbowed Izuna in greeting.

"I haven't seen you for a few days," she said warmly. "What's going on, little Uchiha?" she teased.

Izuna rolled his eyes, and then his face flushed angrily at the muffled laughter from Hashirama, which make Sakura's heart clench with anxiety. Nothing was changing between them.

"You are smaller than I am," Izuna retorted, turning his attention back to her, his hostility visibly lessening.

"That's not what I meant and you know it," Sakura stuck her tongue out and Izuna laughed.

"You have a new outfit," he observed.

"Yeah. It reminds me more of home," she replied.

She'd been into the town and bought some new training clothes for her and Itachi, close to what Itachi used to wear when he was on duty for ANBU. Nothing too flashy, but far more practical for her than a kimono or hakama. She felt like a shinobi again.

Hashirama hit Sakura's arm repeatedly.

"Look, look, they're starting," he said excitedly.

Sakura looked over to Itachi and Madara. They stood about ten meters apart, facing one another. But neither of them moved.

Tobirama let out a bored sigh.

"Genjutsu battles are not exciting to watch," he said.

"It won't last long," Izuna said. "Madara will end this quickly."

There was a hint of pride in his voice. Sakura smirked.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," she said. "You don't know Itachi."

Izuna looked at her like she was mad.

"Just because he has the Mangeyko, doesn't mean he's equal to Madara."

Sakura laughed and took a glance at Hashirama.

"There are - were maybe only three people in the world that could match Itachi. Only another Uchiha can break his genjutsu. He's a prodigy. Don't underestimate him."

Hashirama looked at her with interest and surprise. She turned to see Izuna's surprise and suspicion. She gave him a little smile.

"Are you worried about your brother?" She asked, half-teasingly.

"Of course not," Izuna said, looking away.

It took another three minutes of nothing outwardly happening, but finally:

"The genjutsu is broken," Tobirama announced.

They all looked over at the two Uchiha. Madara and Itachi both stood panting, and talking but they were too far away to hear what they were saying. Sakura felt a little anxiety coil in her stomach. Madara and Itachi moved at the same time, forming impressively fast hand signs simultaneously, and both released massive fireballs that collided in a burst of flame.

Sakura stepped behind Hashirama and moved beside Tobirama.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"It appears you just did," he said, not taking his eyes from the fight.

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"I was wondering about your sensor ability…You're the best sensor in the world, right?" He nodded.  _And so humble,_ she thought. "If the user was hidden really, really well, and may be considered impossible to find, could you still find them?"

Tobirama frowned and finally looked at her.

"There are very few reasons why I shouldn't be able to. Why are you asking me this?"

"Please, just humour me," Sakura asked.

He let out a sigh.

"There are some things even I won't be able to sense. Perhaps if they could change their chakra nature, or had a special ability. It's not unheard of but, normally, yes, I can sense anything."

"Can you sense negativity?" Sakura asked, her voice a little higher and more desperate.

His frown deepened.

"Sakura, what are you asking me for?"

"It's a skill, right? The Uzumaki have something like that, don't they?"

Naruto could do it, did that mean Hashirama could? Sakura was feeling her skin prickle, she kept her eyes away from the fight, and kept glancing around the field. Panic was sweeping her. Was he here? Was he watching them? Was he recording what they said and did? She felt a thousand eyes on her, and her heart began to race.

Suddenly, Hashirama stood in front of Sakura, his hands on her shoulders and he was crouched so his face lowered to her level.

"Sakura, look at me," he said calmly.

Sakura looked at him. She blinked rapidly.

"Breathe, Sakura," he said. "Just look at me and breathe."

Sakura nodded, swallowed and took some deep breaths. Her heart rate slowed the longer she looked at him. Kind eyes. An open, friendly face. A familiar feeling.

"Thank you," she said to him quietly after a moment.

"Just answer her questions, Tobi," Hashirama said slightly disapprovingly.

He went back to standing beside her, and Sakura gathered herself. Looking furiously at the grass in front of her. She almost wished that Zetsu would stick his ugly black head out of the ground just so she could stomp on it. She swore she was going to be okay, she was so angry at herself that she needed to be helped again that her fists shook by her side.

"I can't sense negativity," Tobirama replied after a moment. "Is there something you'd like me to try and sense now?" He asked, glancing down at her.

Sakura nodded, glad he was perceptive enough to understand her.

"Something you don't recognise. Something just…evil," she said quietly. "Maybe in the trees or the ground. Try to be discreet."

Tobirama looked at her, and then muttered, "I'm missing the fight for this." He closed his eyes and concentrated.

Sakura swallowed and turned her eyes to the fight. Itachi and Madara moved to quickly for the eye to follow. They used only taijutsu, but at a speed and intensity that even Sakura wouldn't be able to keep up with, even with her evasion skills. Sakura was reminded that Itachi was playing on a different level to her.

"You are right, Sakura," Hashirama said with some excitement, his eyes following the battle closely. "Itachi is certainly equal to Madara."

Sakura felt her cheeks flush with pride and watched Itachi move for a moment. She peeked at Izuna, who watched the fight through his Sharingan with a mixture of fascination and eagerness, but there was also a hard set to his mouth that belied something bitter and unpleasant.

Sakura turned back to the fight, feeling unease at Izuna. He was reminding her a lot of Sasuke, the Sasuke who was lost in his own hatred.

Itachi avoided a kick from Madara, jumping high over him, using his shoulder as a balance point and landed on his feet while simultaneously swinging Madara around and throwing him ten feet away. He used quick hand signs, and shot out multiple balls of fire towards Madara, who weaved in and out of them, coming closer and closer to Itachi with each flicker of his body. He reached Itachi, who blocked his flurried attacks. Each of them tried to get the upper hand, but neither could. Sakura could see the difference in their fighting styles. Madara, who had been at war his whole life, was more aggressive in his movements than Itachi, who Sakura knew was just gentler in his soul.

Sakura strangely felt herself relax as she watched them, the tense set to her shoulders slowly fell. Her eyes followed what they could, but she wished she could see the battle through Izuna's, to capture every moment of it.

Izuna let out an irritated sigh.

"They're not even trying that hard. They're only using ninjutsu and taijutsu."

Hashirama laughed.

"It's just a spar. Why don't you join them?"

Izuna looked at him coldly, and then he turned away.

"I would never interrupt my brother for my own selfish needs," he said.

Sakura heard the cold jab at Hashirama in the sentence and fought the urge to slap Izuna. Hashirama only laughed.

"You're a good brother then, Izuna," he said cheerily. "Madara is lucky to have you."

Izuna rolled his eyes.

Sakura patted Hashirama's arm comfortingly. He gave her a little smile, and she saw some gratitude in his eyes. She wondered how hard it was for him to be at odds with Izuna when he loved Madara and was trying so hard to bring them all together.

"They could fight all day and neither would come out on top," Hashirama observed.

Sakura agreed, she knew that Itachi had the stamina to do that. He and Shisui had often sparred together until they couldn't move. But only the days that Sakura was close by and could heal them. She'd given them both solid scoldings for neglecting proper treatment afterwards and Shisui always let her know which training ground to come to before they trained.

Beside her, Tobirama shifted.

"There's something…"

Tobirama's voice was low and strained.

Sakura felt her heart freeze at his words.

"It's gone." He gasped and looked at Sakura. "I don't know what that was, but there was something here."

Sakura gave him a stiff nod.

"Thank you," she said.

It was all the confirmation she needed.

"Sakura, will you explain?" Tobirama asked.

"No. Not now." She turned to Hashirama. "We might need to have tea again sometime very soon," she said and he nodded slowly.

"You should invite Madara," he said.

"Maybe," she said. She glanced at Izuna, and then at Tobirama. "Maybe we'll all have tea soon."

Tobirama put a hand to his head in some exasperation.

"This is extremely frustrating."

"Please stop talking in riddles," Izuna sighed. "You sound ridiculous. Does this have to do with the - "

Sakura jumped forward and smack her hand over the shocked Izuna's mouth.

"Don't speak about what you don't understand. Just be silent," Sakura warned him seriously.

Izuna shook her hands off his face.

"What was that for?" He asked annoyed.

Sakura let out a breath.

"Look, just don't say anything. Keep your thoughts in your head and your mouth shut."

"Fine, fine, don't tell me your secrets," Izuna said, somewhat dismissively, and he looked back at the fight between Itachi and Madara, which seemed to be going nowhere fast.

Sakura looked back at the fight too. Somewhere, Zetsu was watching. It was time for her to do something. She needed Itachi to be aware and she wanted to let that black thing know that she wasn't someone to be messed with.

She walked away from the spectators line towards the fight. She gathered chakra in her hand, ignoring the shouts behind her. She took off at a run, and she reached them she launched herself in the air above the fight and, meeting the eyes of the two Uchiha she grinned. Itachi and Madara looked at her, mid-fight with eyes wide and shocked before they quickly separated and both flickered away from the area. Sakura flew down and with a fist into the ground created a massive crater. Sakura steadied herself on the uneven ground while the entire area shook with the impact.

The dust cleared after a moment, and as soon as it had, Sakura stood alone at the bottom of the crater, brushing the bits of rock and dust off of her clothes. With a satisfied smile, she jumped from her place to the solid ground outside the crater, only to be confronted with an angry Madara.

"You dare to interrupt our match?"

Madara spoke to her in a harsh and disbelieving voice. She saw that he was only slightly out of breath, but he was sweating.

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Even Izuna complained it wasn't that interesting. You guys weren't really trying that hard."

Madara's eyes looked like they were about to burst out of his head, and she held back a full-blown smile into a smaller grin.

"Sorry, Madara. But I thought the point of this was to see if Itachi was really worthy of the Uchiha name. I'm pretty sure he just proved it," she said.

Madara looked infuriated and within seconds, Itachi appeared beside her.

"Are you hungry?" She asked, looking at Itachi.

He looked at her with some undisguised annoyance.

"What were you doing, Haruno?" He snapped.

Sakura cringed. He only ever called her that when he was really, really upset with her.

"Tobirama felt something," she said.

Itachi's eyes widened slightly, and then he nodded.

"Very well."

"Tobirama felt what?" Madara gripped the front of Sakura's shirt. "I'm sick of this. Tell me what you know."

Sakura was taken by surprise at his sudden release of killing intent and aggressiveness. She found herself face to face with Madara and his Sharingan. She was breathing hard.

Within half a second, Hashirama, Tobirama, Izuna and Itachi were all at her side, about to pry Madara off her. Sakura held up one hand to stop them, and the other she wrapped around his arm and squeezed.

"Madara, what are - "

"Let Sakura go!"

"Brother!"

"Shut up all of you and back off," Sakura shouted.

She never broke eye contact with Madara, and although her heart pounded in her chest, she never felt her mind slipping. It wasn't madness in his eyes, just anger. A wave of dark anger that had come to the surface, something she had seen before reflected in Sasuke. The others fell silent and stepped away.

"Listen to me very carefully," Sakura said in a low voice.

His cheek twitched, so she knew he was listening to her. She felt like they were both frozen in the moment.

"You are strong enough to not let your negative feelings control you."

There was a flicker of something in his eyes. His hand tightened on her clothes and in response, her hand tightened on his arm to the point that he visibly flinched under her grip.

"Sakura - "

She whipped her head in the direction of Izuna who had taken a step forward. She glared at him until he stepped away from them. This was something she needed to do. She had to be here for him, to show him she wasn't afraid of him. It was the first real step to show him that she wasn't going to run from him. She turned to look at Madara, who was still staring at her but seemed to be struggling internally.

"If you don't calm down and let me go, Madara Uchiha, I will shatter the bones in your arm so badly that even I won't be able to heal it."

She continued to increase the pressure in her grip. Madara's eyes were in conflict until he finally had his Sharingan fade into black, and he released his hand. Sakura kept a hold on his arm and didn't let him go. He averted his eyes from her, and she saw something akin to shame cross his face for just a moment.

"All of you, leave. Now," Sakura ordered the others. She caught Itachi's questioning look and nodded. "Itachi, please."

Reluctantly, she felt the others disappear around them. Izuna was last, casting worried glances between the two of them until he was finally gone as well, and it was just her and Madara.

She let go of his arm.

"Don't you have something you should say to me?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Madara's gaze briefly met hers before he turned away and tried to walk off. Sakura, anticipating this, quickly cut him off and grabbed his hand.

"What are you doing?" He asked her, trying to act neutral and dismissive.

"I'm going to keep hold of this until I'm satisfied," she told him. "You need to talk to me."

He gave her a look.

"I don't," he snapped.

Sakura held tightly when he tried to rip his hand away.

"Yes. You. Do," she said through gritted teeth. "Because I need to talk to you. I want to tell you a story," she said.

He looked at her with a small amount of disgust.

"A story? I am not a child."

"No. But you need to hear this. Will you please trust me?" Sakura pleaded.

Eventually, after a long and searching look at her face, Madara nodded, and she felt some relief. He looked down at their linked hands, and then back at her. Sakura felt a slight heat on her cheeks, but she ignored it. An impatient look crossed his face.

"Well?"

Sakura smiled.

"I can't tell you now, but will you come to the house tonight? Itachi won't be there."

He looked like he wanted to argue, but didn't.

"I will come after the sun has set," he said.

"Good." Sakura let go of his hand. "I'm sorry for interrupting your fight. But, I look forward to seeing you tonight."

Madara quickly flickered away from her, and Sakura let out a breath and sunk to the ground, laying on her back and looking at the sky. She wasn't surprised that Itachi was at her side as soon as Madara's chakra disappeared, but she was surprised to see Hashirama and Tobirama with him.

"I thought I told you guys to go away," Sakura said with a frown.

"We've met scarier people, Sakura," Tobirama said with a smirk.

It took Sakura a moment before she realised he had just thrown her own words to him from a few weeks ago back in her face. She grinned.

"Jerk," she muttered.

Hashirama offered her his hand to help her up, and Sakura took it. He helped her to her feet.

"Madara's going to be okay," Sakura said to him.

He looked at her with a little surprise and then nodded gratefully.

"Is it okay if Itachi has dinner with you and Tobirama tonight?" Itachi looked at Sakura with some surprise, and she gave an apologetic shrug. "You can talk about the village, I'm sure Itachi has some input that could be valuable for you, especially with clan relations."

"What about you?" Hashirama asked with a frown.

"I'll be eating with Madara," she said.

"Alone?" Tobirama asked, with some bafflement. Sakura nodded. "He might have killed you today."

Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"Madara Uchiha is not a monster," she said firmly. "He just gets a little…lost sometimes."

Her voice was softer, and she thought about Sasuke when she spoke, about the apologetic and shamed look on the face of Indra as he apologised to her and Itachi.

She looked up and realised all three of them were staring at her with different expressions. Tobirama, thoughtfully, although she could still see the doubt clouding his eyes. Itachi looked at her with an expression she couldn't read, she didn't know if he was upset with her or not - it was the mask he wore when he was on a mission, or when he didn't want to deal with something so he tried to be diplomatic and neutral. Sakura hated that face and gave him a little frown. Hashirama gave her a look that made her want to punch him - it was the look of a conspirator, playful and teasing. She knew exactly what he was going to say before he opened his big mouth.

"Sakura, do you, perhaps - "

Hashirama didn't finish his sentence due to the chakra-enhanced punch to his stomach that sent him flying and tumbling away. Tobirama watched him impassively, and Sakura could practically hear him thinking that his brother was the biggest idiot in the world.

"Let's go, Itachi."

Sakura stood up straight again and flexed her fingers. She was glad to see Itachi's mask had fallen and he seemed to think she her actions were funny.

"I'm hungry."

* * *

"I'm going to tell Madara tonight," Sakura said to Itachi when they arrived at their house.

Itachi had suspected she was going to say that. He felt slightly uneasy allowing her to spend time alone with the man after his outburst in the afternoon. But he knew that she could handle herself. Madara was not Sasuke. It hurt him deeply to think that, but although Madara was angry, he didn't betray killing intent towards her. Whereas he knew that Sasuke had attempted to kill her at least twice and she'd only been saved by the intervention of others.

There was something about the way that the Madara and Sakura interacted with each other that made Itachi feel a curious sense of jealousy. He had seen it a few times, the way they sometimes seemed to fade into their own little world, where it was just the two of them. He knew that Sakura was just trying to reach him in ways she wasn't able to do with Sasuke, but it made him wonder if it was actually the spirit of Indra that she was pulled toward.

"I think you should speak with Tobirama since Hashirama already knows," she continued. "I really think you can help them figure out how to build stronger ties with the Uchiha, so the future Uchiha won't have to go through what you did."

Itachi stared at Sakura, struck with the sudden realisation that although she cared an infinite amount about the future of the village itself, and trying to make sure that as many of her loved ones might have a future again, she was always thinking about his family. Even before, during the time that Sasuke was away, Sakura was always, always acting with the future of the Uchiha in her mind. Before Sasuke, she never had anything to do with his family, and after he left, he was almost certain that she would just disappear back into the village. But she didn't.

He crossed the room in three long steps and hugged her. He felt her freeze in his embrace, and smiled a little, but as strange as this action was for him, he couldn't stop himself from doing it. He felt such a rush of gratitude towards her, it was the only release he could think of.

"I-Itachi," Sakura stammered. "This is nice and all, but what's with the hug?"

Itachi let her go and stepped back, keeping his hands on her shoulders. She felt slimmer than he remembered, he noticed faintly.

"I just wanted to say thank you," he said.

Sakura raised an eyebrow at him, but her face was red and flustered.

"O-okay, I guess. Why?"

Itachi smiled and tapped her forehead with two fingers.

"Just because."

Sakura went even redder and looked confused, and Itachi smiled at her expression, as she put her hand to her forehead.

"I'm going to bathe in the spring," he said, leaving her in the room.

When he was alone, he looked down at his hand and closed his fist.

When was the last time he'd done that to someone? He couldn't remember clearly. He wondered why he'd done that to Sakura. Had she become someone that important to him and he hadn't noticed? He swallowed and decided not to think too much about it. Not when they had other things to worry about.

Zetsu had most likely been there today, watching them. He and Sakura were now on his radar. A new Uchiha who was equal to Madara, and the insane strength of Sakura, two strangers spending time with the reincarnations he so desperately needed.

Their plan was in motion, and distractions would only get them killed.


	13. Part Five: The Dinners

 

**Part Five: The Dinners**

**Chapter 13**

It took until Itachi and Sakura were both bathed and preparing for the evening for Sakura to change her mind about telling Madara. Itachi had been expecting it.

"I don't know if he's ready," Sakura murmured to Itachi.

He agreed. Madara was not Hashirama Senju. Itachi wasn't particularly surprised that the First Hokage had stooped to spying on them, but he was glad that he was an ally now. He doubted that Madara, Izuna, and Tobirama would have reacted as patiently or acceptingly towards their outlandish but honest time-travel tale.

After Madara's aggressive outburst at Sakura earlier in the day, Itachi didn't think he was ready to hear any truth, particularly that they were sent back in time mostly to stop him from becoming the greatest threat to peace in the entire world.

"He's still going to come," Itachi reminded Sakura. "What will you do?"

Sakura sat heavily on the couch beside Itachi, tucking her legs beneath her. Her shoulder leaned into his.

"I think I'm going to tell him about Sasuke and Naruto." Itachi cast her a sidelong look. "Don't look at me like that. It'll be more about what he thinks."

"I trust you, Sakura," Itachi said quietly.

Sakura was quiet for a moment and he saw her blush slightly, though he didn't know why she did.

"He'll probably ask about why I called the Uchiha stupid today as well," Sakura sighed.

Itachi chuckled.

"I would think so. He certainly isn't the type to let something like that go, since you referenced very specific Uchiha that he doesn't know."

Sakura groaned and covered her face with a hand.

"It's your fault," she said. "Asking me questions like that."

There was a joke in her voice, but it didn't stop him feeling a twist of guilt.

"I'm sorry," he apologised.

Sakura lowered her hand and gave another long, drawn-out sigh.

"No. It's okay. I mean, I haven't been the most reliable, but I won't let it affect me anymore."

She sounded determined, and Itachi knew that she was being honest. She was putting everything behind her and looking forward like she always did.

Itachi stayed quiet. Both of them were suffering in their own ways. Sakura had always been a more emotive person than him, so her reacting physically to trauma was normal. His traumas liked to remain psychological. He wasn't sure which was worse. She shifted so that she was sitting back, drawing her knees from beneath her to her chest. His shoulder felt a little cold in her sudden absence.

"What are you going to do, Itachi?" Sakura asked.

She had turned her head to look at him, a serious expression on her face.

"You have a chance, you know, to help with the future of your clan."

"You believe I should reveal the truth to Tobirama?" He frowned. Sakura nodded. "Do you believe it is wise to have the Senju know the truth before the Uchiha?"

Sakura looked forward thoughtfully.

"I don't know if we have much choice," she said eventually. "I don't like it though. It feels like favouritism, and that won't end well."

"No," Itachi agreed.

They sat in thoughtful silence for a while, each lost in their own minds as they tried and failed to come up with a solution.

"I meant what I said earlier, by the way," Sakura said, breaking through the atmosphere.

Itachi frowned slightly.

"That the Uchiha are stupid?"

"Very funny. No! That you can help with clan relations," Sakura explained. "You know a lot more about the history of the village and the Uchiha than I do. You could talk about ways to better integrate the Uchiha into the village, or things to be careful of or little things that could make big differences in Tobirama's perspective."

"Perhaps," Itachi said.

His mind floated into darker thoughts. He may be able to convince the Senju that the Shimura should not be part of the village. But what would the repercussions be? Danzo was surely a baby, or perhaps not yet born at this time. Itachi didn't know enough. Were the Shimura clan naturally against the Uchiha? Was it Danzo's own values and fears that put him against the Uchiha or was it something he learned from someone else? He didn't know much about the man's past. Researching him was almost impossible without drawing attention to himself, all he knew was that he was a good friend of Lord Third for many years. Presumably, they'd been a part of the same squad. A squad with Kagami Uchiha, that served under the Second Hokage. How much influence did Tobirama Senju have over Danzo's thoughts about the Uchiha? Itachi frowned. Did it all come back to Tobirama Senju?

"You know, I always wondered why the Uchiha were the only ones a part of the Police Force," Sakura said, drawing him from his thoughts. "Why couldn't it be open to other clans as well?"

"Konoha is a strong village with many rare and powerful bloodlines and clans that live within the walls. The shinobi forces in Konoha are there to prevent any action from external threats. ANBU is the elite squad responsible for the protection of the Hokage, for the discretion of the Hokage and the darker and more dangerous missions regular Shinobi cannot take. However," Itachi paused, considering, "the village itself must have a first line of protection. If the citizens of Konoha did not feel safe, no one would live there. The Uchiha are strong enough to be feared outside the walls of Konoha and within the walls. It is a point of pride for the clan."

"But that's just it, isn't it," Sakura said. Itachi looked at her. "Feared." She gave a slight grimace. "I understand what you're saying. The internal village security needs to be handled by forces that are as strong as the forces that protect from the outside. But the nature of police isn't to be liked: it is to be respected and feared because they are deterrents and symbols of strength. By putting it all on the one clan, it's like setting up the clan to be feared and resented."

Itachi blinked. He had often thought something similar.

"Maybe that's something that can change, for the better."

Sakura gave him a little, encouraging smile. Itachi wasn't certain how to feel about her suggestion. He knew that his clan took great pride in being the police force of the village. His father was renowned as one of the greatest security strategists the clan and village had ever had.

Sakura suddenly let out a forlorn sigh.

"I miss Kakashi," she murmured quietly. "He would know what to do. Stupid genius."

Itachi hesitated, but put a hand awkwardly on her shoulder.

"Kakashi was my team captain in ANBU," Itachi told her after a moment of silence.

"Really?" She asked, surprised.

Surprised that he was speaking about ANBU. It was like she said all that time ago, ANBU hadn't yet been invented, and now they couldn't return, so all the rules that once applied no longer did.

"I joined ANBU when I was 11," Itachi told her. Sakura's eyes widened. "Younger than Kakashi was, I believe the youngest ever." He wasn't bragging, just relaying the facts. "Kakashi taught me many things, in some ways, we were both his students."

Sakura managed to give him a little smile, though her lips trembled and her eyes shone in the fading light.

"I hope the future is kinder to him," Sakura breathed.  _If he exists_ , the words went unspoken.

They sat quietly on the couch, neither moving, their bodies not touching, but the presence of another person was welcome. Itachi watched as ever so slowly the sun faded from bright white to dim yellow, to pink and orange. Without him realising it, at some point, Sakura had stood and left him alone on the couch. The bang of metal alerted him to her being in the kitchen. She was preparing for dinner.

He stood, feeling a little tired, and leaned against the wooden frame of the kitchen, watching Sakura. She tucked some hair behind her ear, and her brow was creased with concentration. She had a near constant bite on her lower lip asshe worked, a sign she was thinking a lot. She did that, Itachi knew, thought a lot about everything. Perhaps too much. But, Itachi thought with a fond smile on his face, that was what was endearing about her. Even his father had fallen victim to her innocent charms. She simply was who she was.

He quietly made his way into their shared room to change into more appropriate clothing for dinner. When he was done, he stood looking down at the two futon that lay side by side. A strange thought occurred to him. Although he had been younger, his relationship with Izumi had never progressed to a point where he had felt comfortable to share with her things as intimate as he had with Sakura. Izumi had not known his true feelings about the nature of their clan, he'd never shared his nightmares with her, or trained with her, or been closer than sporadically stolen kisses and held hands.

He was hit with the sudden realisation that Sakura had been privy, even more than Shisui, to his innermost thoughts, his fears, and tears, and she had seen him in both the dark of the night and the bright of daylight. She saw through most of his defenses, she could see when he hid his pain, when he was keeping his feelings locked away she defused them with barely more than a few words or the touch of her hand.

 _I know who you are_. The night she said that he knew she did. He saw it in her eyes, that she did know who he was, and what she said to him proved it. She knew exactly who he was, she knew him better than anyone else ever had. He swallowed at the realisation that she never said not to go after Danzo, obviously aware that it would do no good. She only advised him not to do something he'd regret.

Suddenly the idea of sleeping next to her each night, of the forehead tap he'd given her, of her constant and growing ever-closer company, made him uneasy. New and unexpected feelings, twisted his stomach into knots and tightened his throat with words he couldn't voice or admit. An image of Sakura and Madara flashed through his mind and he felt his stomach clench tighter in jealousy. They were going to be alone soon. Sakura was doing her best to get closer to him, so she could find a way to help him not be turned against the village. Itachi put a hand to his head when he realised that she hadn't even considered that he may develop an attraction towards her. Sakura was unlike many of the women of the era. She dressed more like a man, she voiced her opinions, she didn't back down from anyone, and Madara was attracted to power, like many Uchiha.

He let out a sigh and clenched his jaw, shaking his head. They had a mission. They had a mission to complete and any personal feelings needed to be put to the side. Whatever he was beginning to understand about himself in regards to Sakura wasn't important. If she was the one that needed to help Madara, he would have to deal with it.

Itachi smelt the wafting aroma of food throughout the house and masked his own turbulent emotions as he walked back to the kitchen.

"It's time for me to go," he said quietly.

Sakura turned and smiled at him, and he felt betrayed when his chest jumped at the sight of her.

"You look nice," Sakura said breezily. "Have a good time."

Itachi walked towards her, and when she turned away from the food again to face him, a question in her eyes, he tapped her forehead again, smiling his closed-eye smile, though it felt forced. He felt satisfied at the pink that tinged her cheeks.

"Don't push yourself too hard," he told her.

Sakura frowned a little and then shrugged and smiled.

"Better not keep them waiting," she said. "Tobirama will probably throw a tantrum."

Itachi smirked at the thought, and then gave her a quick nod and left. He glanced back at her at the doorway, glad that no one else was around to see the conflicting feelings on his features, and then flickered away into the night.

* * *

Minutes after Itachi departed, there was a knock on the door to their house. Sakura put down her utensils and wiped her hands on her apron, and went to open the door.

She was greeted to the sight Madara, looking at her impassively.

"Welcome," Sakura said pleasantly, stepping aside to let Madara in. "The food is almost ready. Take a seat."

Madara gave her a nod in greeting, walked inside and awkwardly held out a paper bag to her. Sakura took it with a questioning look.

"Dango," Madara grunted. "As an apology."

Sakura liked to think she was something of an expert at reading the emotions of the Uchiha after spending so long with Fugaku and Itachi. It was why she didn't push Madara into giving her an outright apology immediately, and why she knew that he would show her his shame in other ways for his outburst earlier in the day.

"I'd like to hear the words," she said, raising an eyebrow impatiently and staring at him.

Just because she understood, it didn't mean she didn't want to hear them. Tobirama was right when he said that Madara could have killed her, not that she believed he would've.

Madara averted his eyes, closed them while taking a deep breath, and then turned back to her.

"I am sorry," he murmured.

"Apology accepted," Sakura said with a nod.

She closed the door behind Madara, who took his place at the table in the small living room, and Sakura went back into the kitchen to serve the food.

She liked cooking, but she was certainly not an expert. Their meal would be simple; rice and vegetables with fish that Itachi had caught. Madara, being the clan leader of the occasionally ostentatious Uchiha, was most likely used to far more exquisite meals and better-dressed company, but Sakura wasn't in the mood to pander to the sensibilities of a noble clan. Her home, her life, her family, and herself were simple. Madara could step down into her world for a change.

She served the food on the table, aware that his eyes were watching her every move, went back into the kitchen, washed her hands, put away her apron, ran her fingers through her hair and smoothed her clothes down before she took a seat across from Madara.

Her eyes widened with some shock.

"Oh, I'm sorry, do you want something to drink? Water? Sake?"

Madara inclined his head.

"I do not usually indulge in sake while eating. Perhaps after."

Sakura settled back into her seat.

"Well, enjoy your meal," she said.

An awkward air fell between them while they ate. Sakura, feeling stilted by the grace that Madara ate with, did her best to mimic Itachi and not Naruto as she shoveled her own food into her mouth. It was strange, being alone, completely alone, with Madara. She eyed him carefully. He was not entirely relaxed, but he wasn't on edge either. He was avoiding eye contact with her, which indicated that he was still feeling some guilt about earlier.

She chewed her rice, feeling the weight of the silence between them become unbearable. Just as she was about to say something, Madara looked at her.

"You said that you would tell me a story, one that I needed to hear."

There was a slight crease between his eyes.

Sakura nodded.

"Two stories, in fact," she replied.

"Whenever I meet you, you always leave me with more questions than answers. It is irritating." Sakura almost laughed. "However, I cannot deny that there is something about you and Itachi that keeps my mind occupied for most of the day. A lot of things about you both do not make sense to me and - "

Sakura held up a hand, cutting Madara off before he could say anything else.

"I know you have a lot of questions, but I can only tell you so much. It would be better, I think, for you to hear certain things from Itachi."

"Why?" Madara asked, finally looking her directly in the eyes.

"I'm not an Uchiha," Sakura replied with a small shrug.

He seemed a little surprised by her response but accepted it after a moment. Sakura felt the truth of her statement fully. She wasn't an Uchiha, and Madara and Itachi shared more in common than just their names. Itachi was also supposed to be the clan leader. Their responsibilities were similar, their prowess was on a level above her own, their way of thinking and seeing the world was also different to herself. Itachi had dealt with Sasuke, who was a lot like Madara in many ways, and that was what he was here.

"I would like to know what you can tell me," Madara said, breaking her from her thoughts. "I don't appreciate being left in the dark when my brother tells me that it appears Hashirama seems to already have some more knowledge of you."

Sakura froze, her chopsticks halfway to her mouth, and then placed them back down. She looked squarely at Madara, who was waiting for her to reply.

"Hashirama only knows about us because he spied and overheard a conversation, forcing Itachi and I to reveal truths we didn't want in the open." Sakura sighed. "It's not like we  _want_  to keep things from anyone. It's stressful. But it's safer for everyone, especially…" she glanced at Madara. "It's safer for the entire village if some things are left unknown."

Madara looked at Sakura for a moment then cleared his throat.

"Would you answer my questions to the best of your ability today?" He paused. "Please."

A hint of red on his ears made Sakura's stomach flip, and then she realised he'd said  _please._  It was an effort for her not to allow her mouth to gape with shock. She had never imagined that she would hear that word from an Uchiha that wasn't Shisui or Mikoto. Madara definitely looked embarrassed to have said it at all.

Sakura nodded, a smile spreading across her face.

"Okay," she said. He looked satisfied and his shoulders relaxed. "But let's finish eating first."

The atmosphere around the two of them relaxed, even though they didn't speak again. The tension lifted from Sakura's shoulders, and she found herself studying the Uchiha across the table. It was still so alien to her, seeing him outside of the battlefield, without his armor. Every time Sakura saw him, he became more and more human and normal in her eyes, and she was constantly amazed at how many similarities there were between Indra, Madara and Sasuke, and even Itachi sometimes.

Sakura giggled when she realised they all had the same frown and downturn of their lips.

Madara looked up at her, his eyes narrowed slightly as if asking why she was laughing at him.

"You remind me of someone," Sakura said, smiling like she had a secret. Which she did.

Madara looked thoughtful.

"Perhaps, this Sasuke, or Shisui, you spoke of earlier today?"

Sakura's smile fell slightly.

"I don't think there's anyone like Shisui," she said after a moment.

It was clear to Madara she was avoiding answering the question about Sasuke.

He placed his chopsticks over the empty bowl.

"Why don't we indulge in some sake and conversation, now that the food is finished?"

Sakura waited patiently for his gratitude. Within a few moments he seemed to realise and gave her a very small bow with his head.

"Thank you for the meal and for your hospitality."

Sakura smirked and took away the empty plates into the kitchen. She retrieved the sake and walked back into the living room. Madara had switched from kneeling to sitting with his legs crossed, and Sakura was grateful for that. She usually sat at a table to eat her meals, but that tradition hadn't reached the clans yet.

She served the sake and Madara sipped it, looking at her thoughtfully. Sakura felt familiar scrutiny in his gaze and she did her best not to fidget. She was beginning to feel a slight panic at what she needed to say and do now, and whether or not she would be able to say everything properly.

"You might begin with the stories you seem desperate to tell me," Madara said. "My questions might be answered in the telling."

Sakura stilled her hands and took a sip of the sake herself. She took a deep breath.

"I'm going to tell you first about what Itachi and I found in our travels when you first met us, and then about my two best friends in the world. Naruto and Sasuke."

"What do these tales have to do with me?" Madara asked, turning his nose up slightly.

Sakura gave a weak shrug.

"Nothing. Everything. I guess if you stop interrupting me, you'll find out."

She gave him a glare, and he sat back, a little amused glint in his eye. He motioned at her to continue. She held back the roll her eyes threatened to perform at his 'commanding' her.

"If you recall, Itachi might have implied that our being here had something to do with the Sage of Six Paths. That was true. We found the last temple and follower of his teachings, Tenji of the Ninshu. He was very old, quite mischievous," Sakura smiled at the memories, "but he was knowledgable about Itachi and I, which was strange because we have never met him before. We didn't even know if the temple existed. He told us that he was told to help us in a dream, and he did help us. He let us into the temple he lived at and we entered…a space between worlds. A plane of chakra that connected us to those who brought us here, the sons of the Sage of Six Paths, Asura and Indra Otsutsuki."

Sakura paused and saw that Madara was staring at her with rapt attention, although a slight frown told her he had questions he wanted to ask.

"They told us that we were here because we need to destroy a great evil that threatens the world. It is an enemy that…Itachi and I are familiar with. But," Sakura waved her hands, "I can't answer questions about that without Itachi. So don't ask. But the other reason that we are here is this: it is impossible for Itachi and I to go home. We were taken from our lives, from everything we knew and loved, and put here so we could do what Asura and Indra want. We know it's important, we know we have a mission to complete, and we are going to do it because we are shinobi." Sakura took another sip of her sake, fighting down her bitterness. "You wanted to know if you could trust us. It's not easy to trust, and it's even harder when you're a shinobi, and I would say harder still when you have a clan's safety to think about. But when our mission is done, Itachi and I have nowhere else to go. We can never go home. We want to be here, in Konoha and be apart of this village, but we can't do that until that  _thing_  is gone," Sakura spat. "And you and Izuna, Matsuri, Yuri, and Kagami…you're all the family Itachi has left now." Sakura bit her lip, wondering if she should say any more. "He's not as good with isolation as he might appear to be. He needs people, family."

"But where does he come from?" Madara interrupted her. "You speak of Itachi needing family, yet today you spoke of other Uchiha. I don't understand how that is possible when the only Uchiha in the world are here in this village."

He sounded frustrated. Sakura was about to open her mouth, but the look in her eyes must have registered with Madara. He rolled his eyes and let out a little sigh.

"You can't tell me without Itachi, I suppose."

"I can't," Sakura said.

Madara sipped more of the sake before he drank the rest and poured himself another cup.

"I don't know if I can believe that you… went to a chakra plane and met the sons of the Sage of Six Paths. He's a myth, is he not?"

Sakura tilted her head.

"If you believed that, why have the Uchiha kept the Stone Tablet for so long?"

Madara stilled and eyed her warily.

"That is something no one outside of the Uchiha should know anything about."

Sakura shrugged.

"Yet I do know about it. That tablet is a discussion for another time. But for now, I'll continue with my next story."

Madara gave a slow nod. She could see his suspicion had returned, and she wondered if she was losing him. He took another sip of the sake, and Sakura followed suit.

This was a hard story to begin.

"This is a story about my teammates and my best friends, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, Itachi's younger brother."

She looked at Madara, who seemed startled at the revelation.

"An Uzumaki and Uchiha were friends and teammates?" Madara asked flatly. Sakura nodded. "This Sasuke is Itachi's brother?" She nodded again.

Sakura continued, ignoring the hurt in her chest at remembering them.

"Naruto and Sasuke were like the sun and the moon. Naruto… there was something inside him that made the other people where we lived hate him. He was an outcast from the day he was born. Both his parents died protecting him, so he was an orphan. But Naruto never let their hate bring him down. He was filled with light and love and his heart was so big. All he wanted was to be acknowledged and to become a great ninja that could protect everyone. Despite it feeling like the whole world was against him, all he wanted to do was protect it."

Sakura's throat caught in the memories of his bright smile, his shining blue eyes, his loud and outrageous personality, all his declarations at being Hokage, and is unfailing heroism.

"Sasuke was different, a lot of it had to do with his family. Itachi was a prodigy from the day he could move, speak, think, he was always so far ahead of everyone else and Sasuke suffered from being in his shadow. But Sasuke and Itachi adored each other, it just became hard when Itachi's responsibilities grew larger and he couldn't spend as much time with Sasuke. But Sasuke was ambitious, he wanted to be like his brother - better than his brother. There were some…problems in our home between Itachi's family and the rest of the people and tensions grew high. It was eventually resolved, but the feelings of discontent lingered. Sasuke met Naruto at the ninja academy, and when we graduated, we were put on a team together, and that's when everything began and everything started to fall apart."

Sakura looked away from Madara as she spoke, and blinked back the few tears that threatened to fall.

"Sasuke was so skilled. He had everything going for him. He was popular with the girls, he had his family, he was far above the rest of us. But," she inhaled sharply, "he was arrogant and he looked down on me and Naruto. He was right to look down at me, I was pretty pathetic at that age. But Naruto just needed time, and he and Sasuke had always had a rivalry. The best and the dead last. Before long, their rivalry escalated when Naruto overtook Sasuke and Sasuke didn't handle that well. One day, after something happened and they ended up in hospital, they went to the roof. I was scared, so I went with them, but they used their most powerful jutsu against each other and I ran between them to stop them. If our sensei hadn't come, they would have killed me since their momentum wouldn't allow them to stop. Things went from bad to worse after that. I imagine you know a thing or two about an intense rivalry."

She looked at him knowingly, but he didn't respond to her, Madara only sipped more sake.

Sakura sighed.

"I loved Sasuke like any thirteen-year-old girl loves a handsome boy. I thought that I could save him." She gave a dry chuckle. "I tried to stop him the night he left, but I failed. He knocked me out so I couldn't find help. I even offered to go with him." She shook her head at her own naivety. "He was so consumed with the desire to be better than Naruto, to walk alone and prove himself instead of being a part of something with a team, that he left to seek power. His desire to beat Naruto, to be the strongest, to be the best - it corrupted him. Naruto tried to get him back, but when they fought, Sasuke overpowered him and left him for dead. He could have killed him, but I don't think Sasuke really, in his heart, was a killer. Not then, at least. Naruto was still his best friend, even if he didn't admit it."

"While Sasuke left to fulfill his own desire for power, Naruto also left to travel the world and get stronger, and I remained with my master in the village. Sasuke left for selfish reasons, Naruto left for selfless reasons. That was the real difference between them. Naruto never lost sight of his dream to one day be the strongest so he could protect everyone, Sasuke just got a little lost. All I wanted to walk proudly beside them, instead of staring at their backs."

"It was close to three years before Naruto returned. Just before the world went mad, we saw Sasuke again. That was the first time he tried to kill me," Sakura said with some bitterness. "He had become a different person. So different to what me and Naruto remembered. But we still... we couldn't give up hope on him. He was our brother, and despite everything, I still thought I loved him." She drank more sake. "Sasuke ended up killing his master after we met him. There were… people after Naruto and those people attacked our home to take Naruto. They destroyed it completely… but Naruto managed to defeat them, and turned them back from the road of darkness and war with only his words." Madara looked surprised at that. "But my master, she was the leader of our village, and she fell into a coma and another man," Sakura's teeth grit together, "he took the leadership for himself. He went to see the leaders of other villages to make it official, but somehow, something terrible to Sasuke's family and Sasuke ended up killing him because of it. I found him after that. He was so… he was twisted by darkness. If Naruto and Kakashi hadn't come, I'd be dead, three times over."

Sakura shook her head and looked at Madara, who she had never seen so attentive before.

"Suffice to say, I didn't love him quite the same after that. But Naruto… he never once gave up on his friend. He made a vow to bring Sasuke back to the village, back to his family, back to himself. Sasuke resisted him, and we parted ways again. Then the war came, and it was only during the conflict that Sasuke and Naruto finally managed to bridge the gap between them. Sasuke finally saw the truth in Naruto, the hope. He finally gave in and lost to his rival, and he was going to come home."

Sakura stopped a lump in her throat. It was a glossed over version, with half the details left out, but she thought it was enough. She hoped it would be. She drank the rest of the sake, poured another cup and quickly drank all of that, while Madara watched her thoughtfully and with some amount of concern. Her cheeks felt hot.

"He came home?" Madara prompted.

Sakura shook her head.

"I don't know. It was over, and then Itachi and I were taken away. I don't know. I don't know what happened."

Madara mulled over her words.

"What was the purpose of this story?" Madara asked quietly after some moments of thought.

He was looking at her with a new expression she hadn't seen before. It was similar to what he'd shown to Matsuri and baby Kagami. Something soft, but still with thought. Sakura took a shaking breath and looked at the man.

"You and Hashirama are a lot like my old friends. Friends, rivals, bonded together. I don't want to see you in pain like Sasuke was. I don't want to see you walk a path of darkness."

Maybe it was the effect of the alcohol, or that the lack of electricity meant the room was lit by lanterns and firelight, or maybe it was just the way the conversation was going: unexpected, strangely patient and vulnerable. But Sakura found herself standing to walk around the table and kneel beside the still and wary Madara.

"You think I could walk the same path as your friend?" Madara asked, some disgust and offence in his voice, though muted enough that it was clear he was just engaging in the conversation. He turned his head to look at her. "I can't imagine you would be comparing Hashirama to this Sasuke of yours."

"I think there's a darkness in every person," Sakura answered. "But I know," she touched her palm to over his heart, "that there is a fire burning inside you that wants to protect and serve, like Itachi, like Hashirama. You've been at war with yourself, with the Senju, with the world, for so long. It's okay to rest, to put aside your pride and still be a source of strength for your clan. You're not alone. You can do great things with Hashirama."

Madara looked down at her hand on his chest, and then back up at Sakura, his eyes darkening in the already dim room. Sakura suddenly felt the intimacy of her position and withdrew her hand, shuffling back away from him, her cheeks burning and her mind screaming at herself. She looked at the ground between them, aware that there was a shift in the air between them, and denying that it had happened. Itachi's face flashed in her mind and Sakura quickly stood and walked back to her place across from him at the table. She almost reached for more sake but held her hands tightly together in her lap.

"I don't know if there's anything more I can tell you tonight," Sakura said, hoping her voice wasn't wavering. She didn't look him directly in the eyes. "Do you have any questions?"

Madara stared at Sakura, she could feel his eyes on her but she still wouldn't look directly at them. She kept her gaze firmly on any other part of his face.

"Look at me, Sakura," Madara said in a deep but soft and persuasive voice.

Sakura raised her eyes to his and felt her heart flip in her chest. Sake was a bad idea. Such a bad idea.

"Do you swear to tell me the whole truth one day soon?"

Sakura nodded.

"You swear you are here to protect?"

She nodded again.

"Then I will be patient for the day we speak again."

Sakura blinked.

"What?"

He gave her an almost coy smile.

"I will consider your words. Under the influence of sake and the presence of a beautiful woman is not the best time to rash decisions."

Sakura swallowed and her cheeks burned hotter.

"I will retire now, it is enough for tonight." He stood, and Sakura followed suit. "I deeply apologise for losing my temper this afternoon," Madara said.

Sakura's eyes snapped open.

"The dango!" She exclaimed.

Madara chuckled.

"Keep it. It was an offering, it doesn't need to be shared."

Sakura smiled in relief.

"Itachi will be happy. It's his favourite."

Madara's eyes sharpened.

"It's for you, not Itachi," he said in a hard voice that surprised Sakura. He looked immediately apologetic when he saw her expression. "The festival will be here in a few days," he told her. "Would you join me one afternoon?"

Sakura blinked in surprise.

"Won't you be incredibly busy with the clans and the organisation?"

Madara waved a hand dismissively.

"Tobirama seems to enjoy organising things. I'll leave it to him."

Sakura giggled.

"I don't know if he'd appreciate that," she said.

He gave her a little smile.

"Perhaps not. In any case, it would be my pleasure to escort me for a few hours."

Sakura swallowed. Was Madara asking her on…a date? She stepped back.

"I don't know. There are things Itachi and I must attend to. We may not be at the festival."

Madara stared at her for a moment then gave a short nod.

"Very well. When you and Itachi are prepared to speak with me again, I will see you. Good luck against Tobirama."

His voice took a stiff tone and Sakura felt guilt coil in her stomach.

"Madara, I - " She trailed off and gave him a weak smile. "Good night, Madara," she said finally.

His gaze softened slightly.

"Good night, Sakura," he said.

Madara left, and Sakura sank into the couch, her face in her hands.

Sake was a bad idea.


	14. Part Five: The Dinners

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's interesting to write Madara. He has his pride, but because of the events in the story up to this point and the effect of the Indra chakra, he's slowly changing from the outburst/angry/suspicious guy to one who can admit when he's done something he shouldn't have. Particularly when it's in relation Sakura since he feels he owes her so much for saving Izuna and Matsuri and Kagami.

 

 

**Part Five: The Dinners**

**Chapter 14**

Itachi was barely able to lift his hand to knock before the door flung open and revealed a beaming Hashirama Senju, flanked by his exasperated younger brother.

"Itachi! Welcome!"

Hashirama practically dragged him inside, and it was only his lifelong training that kept him from stumbling at the force of the movement.

"Hashirama, let the man go."

Tobirama chopped his brother's arm and Itachi was released from the hold of the exuberant Senju, much to his relief.

"Apologies for my brother," Tobirama said to Itachi. "He's been extra annoying today. I'm afraid he's been excited for this evening."

Hashirama pouted at his brother, and Itachi fought back an eye-roll. Tobirama continued to ignore Hashirama and spoke solely to Itachi.

"Come," he said to Itachi. "Since our last dinner, the table has been repaired. Dinner is almost ready."

Itachi nodded, casting a glance to the dejected Hashirama who plodded behind them, as Tobirama led him into the dining room. Itachi was surprised to see the seals he had put up were still in place from their first dinner. They had even been improved upon, no doubt by Tobirama. He raised an eyebrow to Hashirama, who gave a knowing shrug.

"It turns out having a sealed room can be quite useful," Hashirama supplied.

Itachi took a seat. They were all sitting adjacent to one another, an effort, Itachi supposed, to make the dinner feel less like an interrogation with a clear divide. He wondered if Madara had arrived to eat with Sakura yet, and felt a churning in his stomach. He wanted to go back and observe them.

Hashirama began to chatter away while Itachi barely listened. He kept his eyes firmly planted on the center of the table, nodding every so often to some inane question or other, and only looked up again when the doors were closed and the three of them were alone. Hashirama's babbling ceased and Tobirama let out a sigh of gratitude for that. Itachi could see the tired bruising under the man's eyes, both of their eyes. It seemed their day was long and hard after the spar in the afternoon.

The food steamed in front of them and Itachi began to eat, uncaring about politeness at the moment. He was too distracted and too hungry to be bothered with it, particularly in front of Hashirama, who also began to shovel food down his throat with a speed that rivaled Naruto. But Itachi knew his reasons were different. Hashirama wanted to talk business, Itachi wanted to get home.

"How is Sakura?" Tobirama asked him.

He meant about the dinner with Madara, after Madara's earlier display.

"It's Sakura," Itachi replied unconcernedly. "She's fine."

Hashirama let out a low chuckle.

"She certainly packs a punch," he said, putting a hand to his ribs.

Itachi eyed the First Hokage.

"When she's flustered, she reacts violently," Itachi told him. "There was really only one other person she reacted like that with, and he was her best friend. It's a sign of her trust in you - even only on a subconscious level."

Hashirama's eyes widened in delight and he looked at Tobirama with a beaming smile that Tobirama didn't return. He only continued to eat, a thoughtful look on his face.

"She trusts me."

Hashirama seemed far happier than Itachi would have guessed. But then, he shouldn't have been surprised, he was a man of extremes. Maybe it would've been better if he didn't say anything.

"I would say 'as far as she could throw you,'" Tobirama said with an odd smirk, "but she could probably throw you pretty far."

Hashirama laughed and Itachi looked blankly at the man who made a terrible joke, and who smiled like it was excessively funny. He looked between the two of them and wondered if it was simply the circumstances of their upbringing that didn't allow them to learn what good jokes actually were.

Hashirama noticed the look on Itachi's face.

"Oh, come on, Itachi. You're no fun today," he whined.

Itachi wondered when he'd given off the impression to them that he was fun, ever.

"What's going on? Are you upset that Madara and Sakura are eating dinner together?" He winked.

_Yes._

"Of course not," Itachi replied evenly. "I'm not in a mood to play pretend. Sakura will be discussing important things with Madara, and I have important things to discuss with the two of you."

"What kind of important things?" Tobirama asked curiously.

"The truth of why we are here," Itachi stated.

Tobirama's interest was immediately sparked. Itachi looked at Hashirama.

"She's not telling Madara. We will do that together. Although I suspect he will have an easier time with that conversation after what she reveals tonight."

Hashirama seemed disappointed but nodded with some understanding.

"You knew about this, brother?" Tobirama asked with ice in his voice. Hashirama nodded and flinched under Tobirama's glare. "You didn't tell me," Tobirama said, clearly unhappy with the knowledge his brother had lied to him.

"It was not his place to tell you," Itachi cut in. "Despite appearances, your brother is capable of subtlety and discretion when called for."

"I feel like I've been insulted," Hashirama muttered forlornly.

Tobirama scoffed lightly.

"It's hardly an insult if it's true."

Hashirama dropped further into his depression and Itachi felt annoyed and impatient the longer they joked around the issues. Tobirama seemed to sense his irritation and gave him a pointed look, as if to say, just hurry up and say what you need to say.

Itachi glanced at Hashirama, who immediately perked up and nodded to him, indicating that he was ready. Itachi then took a breath and decided that being direct was a better option with Tobirama than the alternative.

"Sakura and I are shinobi from Konohagakure, who served under the Fifth Hokage."

Itachi fell into a baited silence, but he saw Hashirama's eyes widen at the mention of 'Fifth Hokage' - which he and Sakura had not mentioned before. Hashirama now had an idea of how far into the future the two of them had come from. When Tobirama didn't make a move to speak, Itachi continued.

"At the end of the war, we were taken from our time and brought back in time, to the founding of our village, to destroy an evil that will shape the future of the village and the world from the shadows. It is a task given to us from the Sage of Six Paths."  _Or close enough,_  Itachi thought.

The silence remained and Itachi frowned slightly, glancing at Tobirama, who gave no indication of what he was feeling about what he said. Hashirama was staring intently at his brother, as did Itachi. Tobirama closed his eyes and breathed deeply, in and out, in and out, before he looked at Itachi with an almost lazy expression, reminiscent of a Nara.

"Well, that certainly explains a lot," he drawled, folding his arms over his chest.

Itachi was surprised. He blinked a few times, wondering if he had heard correctly. But the look on Tobirama's face changed and became calculating, filled with a sudden understanding and relief, and something reminiscent of self-pride. It seemed that Itachi's tactic of allowing the breadcrumbs of their true intentions and reasons to be picked up slowly had worked: Tobirama had already formed his own conclusions and accepted the truth far easier than he could've hoped for.

"I couldn't come to any other logical explanation for all the oddities in your arrival and the evasiveness you both displayed," Tobirama continued. He glanced at Hashirama. "Even though he's an idiot, my brother trusts you both and has since before you left. He's a good judge of character…most of the time."

Hashirama's smile dropped into a sullen frown.

Itachi nodded in response.

"Neither Madara or Izuna are aware of this," he said.

Tobirama looked interested by that.

"You're an Uchiha yet you keep your clan in the dark?"

Itachi narrowed his eyes at him.

"There are several reasons why," he said, "and those reasons extend to your own prejudice against the Uchiha. Something that has trickled down into my own era and caused friction close to the point of civil war."

Hashirama and Tobirama were quiet. The elder looked at his brother with open disapproval.

"I have told you time and time again that you treat the Uchiha with animosity and hostility they don't deserve."

Tobirama looked defensive.

"My only goal is to defend and protect the village and its people, from threats within and without."

"The Uchiha are a part of this village," Hashirama stressed. "They are not our enemy or a threat."

"Enough," Itachi said tiredly. It was clear this was an argument they'd had before. "This isn't something you can solve with words, Hashirama. If you both truly desire a peaceful and prosperous future for all of Konoha integration, cooperation and trust are necessary."

Tobirama looked at Itachi with a firm glower, and Hashirama looked troubled. Itachi felt a wave of tiredness wash over him. He wasn't here to play mediator, he was there to explain the immediate danger to everyone.

"This isn't the time to discuss village politics," he said with a sigh. "You want answers and I'm willing to provide them."

"This evil you speak of, it's what Sakura asked me to try and sense today?" Tobirama asked after a moment.

"Yes," Itachi replied. "It is… an unnatural force that is difficult to detect and harder to destroy. The abilities are vastly unknown, but we do know that it is a master of stealth."

"Hence the sealed rooms and the protection of your house," Tobirama murmured. "What about the Uchiha? What does this have to do with Madara?"

Itachi hesitated.

"We believe Madara is the target for the evil we are here to destroy, that he'll be manipulated into… walking a path of darkness and turning from the village," Itachi said eventually.

A dark look crossed Tobirama's face, and Hashirama sat thoughtfully, a look of understanding crossing his face and sorrow in his eyes.

"What did he do, in your time? Who was he?" His voice was low and pleading.

Itachi didn't want to answer. He looked over their heads.

"Madara Uchiha…" he drifted off and closed his eyes. "Madara Uchiha became the biggest and most deadly threat to the entire shinobi world."

A dark look crossed Tobirama's face but Hashirama sat in stunned silence.

"This is why Sakura asked me those questions, isn't it?" Hashirama breathed.

"We are here because we can stop this," Itachi said with determination and confidence. "Sakura and I were chosen to end the evil that manipulates Madara into becoming that man, and we  _will_  do it."

Hashirama met his eyes and slowly relaxed.

"I believe in you both," he said.

"What do you want from us?" Tobirama asked, his face still dark with thoughts of Madara.

"Do not act on any information I have given you. Continue to build the village, push forward with your plans," Itachi said. "If Sakura and I need something, we will ask for it. All we want is for the future to be bright, and for the village to become what it's meant to be."

"Does this evil you talk of have a name?" Tobirama asked.

"I will not speak it," Itachi said firmly. "You won't be able to stop it entering the village either."

"If I sense anything like it, I will report it immediately to either of you," Tobirama said unhappily.

Itachi gave a slow nod.

"That would be appreciated."

Hashirama, deciding the conversation was too dark and unhappy to continue, clapped his hands and smiled at Itachi.

"So, do you have any ideas for the village? We can greatly improve our plans with your knowledge."

Itachi swallowed. He felt a sudden urge to get back to the house and check on Sakura, his instincts telling him that something had happened, but he pushed it aside. Sakura could take care of herself.

"I will aide where I can," Itachi murmured. "Neither Sakura or I have any desire to affect too much change, but there are certainly things that need adjusting."

Hashirama nodded, and Itachi saw that even Tobirama looked slightly grateful.

"Many of the institutions in the village were introduced by necessity and founded by your brother," Itachi said to Hashirama. "If I'm honest, I don't recall too many things that you yourself created." He fought back a teasing smile.

Hashirama looked shocked, and Tobirama looked smug. They devolved into a brotherly discussion of superiority that Itachi watched with amusement and some longing. He'd never had that with Sasuke. He'd been taken away before he had the chance to reconnect with him.

Itachi was glad the conversation was over with relative ease, though he hadn't been expecting it to be. Thinking about it more, he shouldn't have been too surprised. Tobirama Senju was a genius in his own right, much in the same vein as Orochimaru, loathe as Itachi was to admit any similarities between them. He was rational, pragmatic and logical, thinking more scientifically and tactically than with emotion. Itachi felt some satisfaction in the realisation that he must have been excessively frustrated not being able to figure out how Sakura and himself arrived and the reasons behind it.

* * *

Sakura laid in her futon on her side, curled into a ball, hugging her knees and pretending very badly to be asleep when Itachi arrived back to the house. She heard him sigh tiredly as he slipped off his sandals. She could sense him walking to the bathroom, but she didn't hear him move at all. He was silent in the night, always tuned into his shinobi senses and training. She would only hear him step if he did so deliberately.

The room was dimly lit by the moonlight shining through the closed window, creating a pattern of black shadows across grey light from the window panes over the bed. Sakura turned to face Itachi's bed, her heart hammering in her chest, nerves fluttering in her stomach. She'd never felt so nervous to spend the night beside him before.

He came into the room like a ghost, stripped bare of his outside clothes and wearing only a loose shirt and shorts, he slipped into the futon, barely rustling the blankets as he got settled. He lay on his side, facing her. She could just make out his features, there was a question in his eyes.

"How was the dinner?" He asked her quietly.

Sakura's body tensed and her fists tightened their hold on the blanket.

"It went…well," she said hesitantly.

She didn't meet his eyes.

Ever since what happened with Madara only two hours or so earlier, Sakura had been hyper-aware of everything she had been doing and saying. Itachi was so close, all she needed to do was reach out a hand to touch him. Was it normal, the way they seemed to naturally end up close to one another? Both of them had sought the comfort of the only familiar thing around, the last piece of home. They were alone here, only with each other, but she couldn't help but think - or overthink - that even if she were stuck in this place with Sai, or Naruto, or Lee or anyone else, it wouldn't be the same as it was with Itachi, and what did that mean?

"Sakura, what's wrong?" His voice was concerned.

She bit her lip.

"I think… Madara asked me if I wanted to spend an afternoon at the festival with him… and he meant it as a date."

 _And the first thing I thought about was you._  She couldn't say the last part, but she thought it and felt the confusion of what it implied.

Itachi seemed to freeze, and Sakura felt like the entire room froze with him. Slowly, he turned away from her, and lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. The silence stretched until it became uncomfortable.

 _"Hn,"_  Itachi eventually grunted.

Sakura's stomach dropped at the sound. If he'd reverted back to monosyllabic responses, he wasn't happy with her.

"I'm not going to do it," she said quickly, hating to think that he was disappointed in her. "The mission comes first."

He didn't make a move, and she gnawed at her lip for a moment before she copied him and lay on her back to stare at the ceiling. She couldn't look at him anymore, and she was thinking too much, too many irrational thoughts making her heart go haywire. Her fists clenched under the blanket and her stress rose each second Itachi remained motionless and silent.

"How was your dinner?" She asked, desperate to break the awkward tension between them.

"Easier than expected," he replied. "We will have support if necessary."

Sakura felt her body relax slightly. Both of their dinners had been successful.

"That's good," she breathed.

_"Hn."_

Sakura cringed. She must have upset him more than she realised.

"Did you talk about the village and the festival?" She asked.

"Briefly."

Itachi's reply was clipped, and he turned on his side, facing away from her. The conversation was over. Sakura swallowed and glanced over at his tense body under the blanket, and saw his dark hair spill over onto the pillow. She had an odd sensation to reach out and stroke it. She didn't, she instead felt the weight of his clear disappointment weighing down on his chest.

Had she been unconsciously encouraging Madara? She lifted her hand and held it over her face. Probably, she concluded with a quiet sigh, thinking about what happened. The sake, the things she said to him, her hand resting over his heart, the slightly too long stare into his lidded eyes.

She lowered her hand to cover her eyes. She shouldn't have drunk so much, she just wanted to show Madara that she was on his side, that he didn't have to keep his walls up around her. She had forgotten something crucial: Madara wasn't Sasuke. He wasn't a boy she'd known since she was 11. He was a man, and she was a woman. 

She lowered her hand again and frowned. Itachi was overreacting, wasn't he? It was okay for him to be disappointed in her, she could accept that. But the cold shoulder was too much, and his attitude was pissing her off. Her frown deepened. Madara had only asked her on a date, which she had refused, and didn't even mean for it to happen. Her hand clenched into a fist and she turned again to face Itachi, her irritation rising.

"You don't have to be such a prick," she snapped. He flinched. "I said no. I'm putting the mission first. It's not like I was trying to seduce him or anything."

She stared icily at the back of his head.

"I know that," he said eventually with a sigh. "I'm not angry with you."

Sakura scoffed.

"Whatever," she muttered, turning over again and glaring into the darkness of the room.

Silence settled between them. Sakura eventually grew tired enough to let her anger dissipate and began to drift off to sleep.

She didn't know if she dreamt the feeling of fingers at the tips of her hair, or if she imagined she heard him whisper that he was sorry.

* * *

"Thank you so much for coming," Matsuri beamed at Sakura and Itachi.

Sakura managed a genuine smile for her.

"Good morning, Matsuri. Madara said you wanted to see us?"

Matsuri tutted.

"Always straight to business, Sakura," she feigned disapproval, still smiling. Sakura smiled ruefully and blushed slightly. "Come inside, you two."

Sakura and Itachi slipped off their shoes at the door and headed inside the comfortable and homely house of Yuri and Matsuri Uchiha. Sakura greeted Yuri with a smile and small wave, heading immediately to the little crib that Kagami was resting in. He gurgled when he saw her, and Sakura felt the tension release from her shoulders looking down at the baby boy, who looked back at her with wide curious eyes.

She felt Matsuri sidle up beside her.

"He's missed you, Sakura," she said quietly.

Sakura flushed with happiness.

"How do you like being a mother?" She asked, straightening up.

"Well, it's more tiring than I was expecting. But Kagami's a good baby," Matsuri said fondly. "He's not too fussy and seems to enjoy sleeping."

Sakura grinned.

"You sound like one of the lucky ones."

She glanced at Yuri, who was awkwardly trying to make some conversation with Itachi, who remained stoic and relatively closed off and unsociable. Sakura frowned. Just because they were not getting along, didn't mean he had to act that way with others.

"Everything okay?" Matsuri asked, looking between her and Itachi.

Sakura shrugged.

"I'm sure it'll blow over," she replied.

Matsuri looked at her thoughtfully, her lips pursed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked.

Sakura sighed. She really missed Ino, and she had so little experience with talking about guys and thinking about guys. She'd never really thought about anyone except Sasuke before. Matsuri was older, granted, only two years older, but she was married and they seemed happy. She bit her lip, maybe it would be good to talk to her.

"Maybe later," she mumbled shyly.

Matsuri nodded in understanding, but her eyes gleamed with eagerness. She turned at the whistle of the teapot.

"I hope you're all okay with green tea," she announced.

Itachi gave a short nod in response, and he, Yuri and Sakura took their place at the table to wait for Matsuri to serve the tea. Sakura made sure to sit adjacent to Itachi, so she didn't have to look directly at him.

She'd woken up annoyed at him, and he'd seemed eager not to speak with her unless absolutely necessary. They had imparted the rest of the information from each dinner they attended like they were reporting a mission to the Hokage: quickly and efficiently, without emotion. Sakura told him they would go to Matsuri's an Itachi agreed without question or complaint.

She murmured her thanks to Matsuri when the tea was served and the woman sat at the table with them. There was a slightly awkward silence between them before Yuri cleared his throat.

"We're glad you could make it over today, Sakura and Itachi," he said kindly.

"It's not a problem," Sakura said warmly. "I'm always glad to visit."

"Exactly, so that's why I wanted to get to know Itachi better. You live together, don't you?" Matsuri asked.

Sakura cringed. She could see through the blatantly obvious innocent act that Matsuri was putting on. She wanted to gossip.

"And Sakura said you're not married or involved," Matsuri went on, "It's a little unusual, but I understand you can't go home. We wanted you both to know that you're always welcome here."

Sakura felt her cheeks warm and she looked down at the table, peeking at Itachi, who was looking a little taken aback by the quick talking and open Matsuri. Sakura realised that the last time he'd seen the woman, she'd been unconscious and recovering from her emergency surgery. He didn't know her awake.

Matsuri was looking directly at Itachi, which meant she was expecting him to reply. Which made sense, since she'd said already had a similar conversation with Matsuri before.

"That's very kind of you," Itachi replied in a quiet, polite voice.

Matsuri smiled widely at him and Yuri placed his hand over his wife's.

"We also wanted to let you know, Itachi, that you don't need to be guarded around us. Matsuri is like a sister to Madara and Izuna, and we have been confided in about your ties to the clan," Yuri said.

Itachi stiffened and Sakura's eyes shot open to stare at them. When had that happened? Sakura looked at Itachi, who seemed to grow more uncomfortable with each second, while Matsuri kept a warm smile on her face and Yuri kept talking.

"We're not going to ask questions. We don't need to know about your life before. But you're amongst family now, and we are hopeful that one day you'll feel comfortable enough to create a new life and get to know the clan."

"It's not like you'll be able to hide your ties to the Uchiha if there's any reason for a fight," Matsuri gave a shrug, tapping her head near her eyes. "Also, you do bare quite a resemblance to many of the clan. We're just glad to meet you."

Sakura kept an eye on Itachi, who seemed a little stunned, but recovered quickly.

"I didn't expect them to speak about me," he said with some disquiet in his voice. "I would appreciate it if you didn't talk about this either."

"We're not going to betray your trust," Yuri said. "Particularly since it wasn't given to us by you."

"I gave Madara a scolding when he told us," Matsuri said with a frown. Sakura couldn't help but smile at that. "He won't be saying anything to anyone else."

"Out of curiosity, when did he tell you?" Itachi asked.

"He came by last night," Matsuri said. "Fairly late, actually. He woke up Kagami, and I made him rock the baby until he fell asleep again."

Sakura stilled, and she felt Itachi's eyes drift to her. Was it because of what she said about Itachi needing people? She bit her lip.

"That's not the only thing we wanted to talk about either." Matsuri broke Sakura out of her thoughts. "You both have to come here in two days."

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"It's a secret," Matsuri sang. "But you'll be happy, I can guarantee that."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Sakura asked with a groan.

Yuri laughed and Matsuri gave her a grin.

"It's going to be fun, I promise," she said.

"That doesn't make me feel better at all."

* * *

Madara sat in the shared space that he, Hashirama and Tobirama used for their work, leaning back on his chair and staring out the window, his conversation with Sakura taking priority in his head over the work on the table in front of him. He could feel the questioning eyes of the Senju on him, they weren't the subtlest of men, but he ignored them and was glad they didn't speak to him.

Sakura had been on his mind since the day before, for more than one reason. He was never good at apologising and admitting he was wrong. But he'd allowed his anger to override his usually carefully controlled emotions, and lashed out at her. Yet, Sakura hadn't cowered in fear from him. She'd stood strong, she'd spoken to him in a firm and disapproving voice, she'd even threatened him, and even more surprisingly, he'd listened to her and felt a strong sense of shame for his actions and growing respect for her.

He'd even gone out of his way to procure dango as an apology and felt like he had no choice when she asked for the actual words of apology to be said. Sakura was truly something else, and he was beginning to put together the pieces of her stories in his head and form some vague idea about where Sakura and Itachi had come from.

Or, perhaps,  _when._

It was the only thing that made sense to him, although it wasn't an easy thing to accept. Itachi was an Uchiha, but the only Uchiha in the world were here in his clan, in Konoha. Yet Sakura spoke about other Uchiha, this Sasuke she apparently was or had been in love with that was Itachi's brother, and Shisui. And neither of them could return to their home. She talked about a war, which he was certain he would have heard about, considering his clan was one of the most highly sought after clans for warfare, yet he hadn't.

He wanted to ask her more about it all, but he also felt reluctant to face her again. He kept remembering her hand on his chest, and the intense desire that came over him when he looked at her eyes in the dim light, and when she spoke softly and knowingly about him. He had very nearly grabbed her, pulled her to him, and - he wouldn't think about it. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He had far more self-control than that, although he was beginning to wonder exactly what the hold she seemed to have over him was, and why every time she mentioned her companion, it irritated him. It was unsettling to think about.

She'd also rejected his offer to escort her at the festival, which stung more than he cared to admit. So he had devised a plan, starting with Matsuri, who he'd gone to visit after he left her house.

"In two days," Madara said, catching the attention of the Senju. "I'll be hosting a party to honour Sakura and show the gratitude of the Uchiha clan towards her, and to welcome Itachi as an… honorary member of the clan, I suppose, for now."

Hashirama blinked in surprise, and Tobirama frowned.

"The Shimura and Sarutobi clans are arriving then," Tobirama said. "It's important that you're available to welcome them to the village."

Madara frowned. Both clans were allied firmly with the Senju above the Uchiha, although the Shimura had been more fluid in their past alliances, though never trustworthy.

"Why not invite them to the party?" Hashirama suggested. "They can become acquainted with the village that way."

Madara frowned more deeply. He didn't want to do that, but he saw the logic in the idea. Imagine, Hashirama being logical.

"Is it necessary to throw a party for them?" Tobirama asked.

"Yes," Madara replied. "Itachi is my kinsman, even if it isn't known. Sakura saved the life of my brother, a close friend, and her baby. Matsuri also wishes to honour her, and the woman who aided Sakura during the birth has spread tales throughout the Uchiha of her deeds. Sakura has become something of interest to my clan."

Tobirama sighed.

"If you open the party to all the village, it could serve several purposes. As well as having Sakura and Itachi as guests of honour, you might use it as an opportunity to welcome the Shimura and Sarutobi, open the festival, and use the night to spread the word about the hospitality of the Uchiha. It might boost your reputation."

Madara turned a glare at him. Once again, Tobirama voiced his obvious disdain for the Uchiha. Madara wondered faintly if the man had ever made an attempt to truly get to know anyone in his clan at all, instead of working off his own prejudice, but he would have to admit that Madara hadn't made an effort to do the same either, so he kept his opinions to himself.

"Now, now, Tobirama," Hashirama said, giving a look of intense disapproval to his brother.

The brother's gaze met, and to Madara's surprise, Tobirama relented his defensive position. It wasn't often that he truly subjugated himself to Hashirama like that. Madara narrowed his eyes slightly, suspicious at the interaction. Hashirama looked back at Madara.

"I think it would be good for the village, though I'm not sure how Sakura and Itachi will feel about it."

Madara shrugged.

"They won't be told. They don't enter the village much, for whatever reason, so gossip won't reach them. Matsuri has been put in charge of making sure they get to the party dressed and surprised."

Hashirama twisted his lips in thought, and Tobirama seemed to be thinking through many different scenarios in his head.

Madara let out a sigh.

"I'll open the party to the village if that's what you want," he said with a small amount of reluctance.

"Excellent," Hashirama said with a smile.

Madara stared at the two of them for a moment, debating whether or not to ask them about the truth behind Sakura and Itachi. If they were truly from a time in the future or not, then decided against it. He told Sakura he would wait patiently. If anything, it would give him a reason to seek her out.

"How was your evening?" Hashirama asked him.

Madara gave a slight shrug.

"Interesting," he replied vaguely.

Hashirama gave a drawn-out sigh.

"You're so informative," he said sarcastically.

 _"Hn,"_  Madara replied, turning to look out the window again.

He didn't lie, it was interesting. He didn't have an obligation to tell Hashirama anything.

The story that Sakura told, about her friends Naruto and Sasuke…it was easy for him to draw parallels between the two and between him and Hashirama, especially when he broke down the story: friends turned rivals turned friends, similar yet different people. One who wanted to walk with others, one who walked alone. How were they connected? Perhaps that was part of the reason Sakura and Itachi were here, and why they seemed far more interested in Madara and Hashirama than anyone else.

"Well if you don't want to share, we'll tell you about Itachi," Hashirama said with a pout.

"He made some interesting suggestions regarding the infrastructure of the village, including developing an academy to teach the principles of the shinobi life," Tobirama said.

Madara raised an eyebrow.

"An academy?" He questioned dubiously. "How would that work? Who would come?"

"The children in the village, from all the clans, even civilians."

"Why?" Madara scrunched his nose in confusion. "The clans can train their own."

Tobirama sighed and put a hand to his head.

"This is a village," Hashirama answered. "We can't think of ourselves as individual clans anymore. We are all a family. One clan. We are all Konohagakure."

"That kind of ideology will take a long time to be accepted," Madara replied after a moment. "Clans have their own techniques and secrets and they will never share them."

"The Academy wouldn't be about revealing clan secrets. It's about becoming a community, sharing and teaching an ideology, and giving a place for all young prospective shinobi a place to learn and grow naturally with basic skills in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and all of the different elements of being a shinobi," Tobirama explained.

Madara thought for a moment.

"It has merit," he conceded. "A lot of work and thought will be needed to put into it." Hashirama looked pleased. "I take it Itachi had other ideas?"

They nodded.

"They can wait until after the festival," Tobirama replied. "We have other things to focus on and plan. You should let your brother know about the change in plans for your party."

Madara nodded and left them alone. He had plans for that party, and the changes wouldn't disrupt them too much. He was also curious at what Matsuri was planning to do with Sakura.

There were still two days until he could find out and it seemed a long time suddenly.


	15. Extra's 1 & 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a small break in the story, two small stories.  
> 1: Izuna's daily life  
> 2: Sakura, Itachi and Tenji

 

_**EXTRA TALE #1:  
WHY IZUNA SHOULDN'T ANNOY MATSURI** _

* * *

It was a rare day that Izuna found himself bored. Madara had become more and more invested in the building of the village, and that resulted in Izuna being delegated more and more clan duties. Most days, he was usually busy juggling responsibilities that should have been Madara's. Izuna didn't particularly mind, however, he was worried about Madara being blinded to any bias towards the Senju and forgetting the responsibility he had to his own clan.

Izuna's finished his clan work by noon and decided to visit the new parents in Matsuri and Yuri, only to discover Matsuri and Kagami had been stolen by Sakura on a walk to the river, and Yuri was at home resting, finally having a chance to himself after the chaotic birth of his boy.

"Come on in," Yuri said with a yawn, opening the door and greeting Izuna. "I don't think they'll be back for a while. They tend to talk for hours."

Izuna was surprised but also glad. Sakura and Itachi were practically joined at the hip, and rarely communicated with anyone else. To see that Sakura had made a friend was comforting, and Matsuri was always glad to meet new people. He hoped this would mean that Sakura might feel more comfortable staying in the village a little longer...

"How are you?" Izuna asked Yuri, taking a seat on their comfortable couches.

"Even during battle, I've never felt this tired," Yuri said with a wry smile.

He certainly looked exhausted. Yuri was one of the fairer Uchiha. His hair, unlike the raven-haired Matsuri, was light brown and slightly curled. His eyes were also brown, not the usual Uchiha black, but that mattered little since he had a fully-formed three-tomoe Sharingan.

Izuna grinned.

"You've definitely looked better," he teased.

Yuri gave him an annoyed look and rolled his eyes.

"When are you going to get started on a family?" He asked. "All you do is train and worship the ground Madara walks on. You need a girl," he said with a smirk.

Izuna bristled.

"Don't be a prick," he replied. "I don't worship the ground he walks on."

Yuri laughed.

"Sure, whatever you say."

They fell into a companionable silence. Izuna probably did worship Madara, though he'd never admit it aloud. His brother was worthy of his idolisation.

"When will you come back to help train the children?" Izuna asked, changing the subject.

Along with Izuna, Yuri was one of the instructors for the Uchiha clan children in the shinobi arts. Teaching was a pursuit that Izuna enjoyed, but Yuri was his favourite instructor to work with. The others were slightly more sycophantic towards him because he was Madara's brother, the next-in-line for clan heir, and considered one of the strongest warriors.

"I don't want to leave Matsuri alone yet. Give me another month or two?" Yuri asked hopefully.

"I'm not asking you to come back now. Spend time with your baby," Izuna said.

Yuri looked grateful.

"So, that Sakura is something else. She's the one who saved you, isn't she?"

Izuna nodded.

"I've never heard of a medic like her before," he said. "To say she's impressive would be an understatement."

Yuri nodded in agreement.

"I don't think I can ever repay her for what she did for Matsuri or Kagami."

Izuna furrowed his brow.

"Why Kagami?" He asked suddenly. "I didn't expect that from the two of you."

Yuri shrugged.

"Suri liked it," he said. He looked at Izuna, his eye's gleaming with cheek. "Maybe you could start a little family of your own with Sakura!" He exclaimed.

Izuna blushed dark red and almost choked on his own spit.

"What are you talking about?" He coughed.

Yuri laughed heartily.

"I haven't seen you blush, maybe ever," he teased. "Did you fall for her?"

Izuna shook his head.

"No," he denied. His mind drifted to Itachi. "She's probably spoken for," he muttered.

Yuri raised an eyebrow.

"That other fellow that was with her?"

Izuna nodded.

"Itachi," Izuna supplied. "He's…well, he's a strong shinobi, I'll say that. He's annoyingly like Madara can be at times: silent and mysterious." Yuri nodded knowingly. Izuna sighed. "But he's certainly dangerous. He's a shinobi through and through."

 _An Uchiha through and through,_  he thought privately.

"Seems you have some walls to climb over before you can get to your precious Sakura," Yuri grinned.

Izuna rolled his eyes, but his cheeks still heated.

"Shut up."

"Well, if it doesn't work out, let me know. I know plenty of young women just waiting for a chance to get to know you."

Izuna groaned.

"You're worse than the elders."

"That's not difficult, they're mean old bastards," Yuri said, his light tone taking on a little hardness.

Izuna remembered that he'd had some trouble when courting Matsuri since she was technically of a higher-ranking family within the clan than he was. Not that Matsuri cared. She was stubborn when she wanted something, and when she decided Yuri was the man for her, not even the elders could stop her.

Yuri yawned and lay back on the chair across from Izuna.

"Well, whatever happens, you can be content in knowing that I have achieved true happiness and you'll be forever alone because you're too cowardly to make a move."

Yuri didn't end up napping that afternoon, and Matsuri was furious when she returned home to a destroyed living room from an over-the-top wrestling match between her husband and best friend.

Izuna was forced to beg Matsuri to call off the matchmaker on his hands and knees before he regained control of his life - and love life - again after a week of pure hell.

* * *

_**EXTRA TALE #2:  
DANGO** _

* * *

"Oh! Oh! I know," Sakura grinned evilly at Itachi. "Shisui told me a story about Itachi messing up on a mission once."

"Sakura, I doubt this is an appropriate time - " Itachi was cut off by Tenji.

"Hush up, kid. I want to hear this story," he said, grinning conspiratorially at Sakura. "I'm certain I'll find a great nickname for you after this one."

Itachi fought back a deep and tired sigh, cringing internally as he heard the tale that Sakura told the old man.

"So. Itachi was supposed to be this amazing shinobi from the time he could walk - "

Itachi scoffed.

"Supposed to be," he muttered.

" - so he rose really quickly through the village ranks. His cousin used to take him out on missions, and on one particular mission, they were supposed to meet with an informant who had betrayed the village. Shisui set up the meeting at a dango shop outside the village borders, somewhere in the Land of Fire, but the spy never showed up. Itachi was pretty easy for Shisui to rile up back then apparently, so Shisui bet him that he couldn't eat how ever much dango it was, I don't remember. Well, anyway, Itachi ate it all and then extra." She looked at Itachi and grinned before turning back to Tenji. "They didn't expect the spy to turn up in their hotel room and try to kill them that night. But some time during the fight, Itachi took a punch to the stomach and then vomited all the dango he ate back up all over the spy!"

Sakura laughed heartily and was joined by Tenji, while Itachi's face burned with shame. It was not his finest moment.

"Shisui said it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen in his life. The spy was so disgusted he couldn't even react. They caught him really easily after that, but when they took him back to Konoha no one could figure out why he smelled like sickly sweet vomit since he had no memory of being vomited on. Itachi had wiped his memory of it to hide his shame."

Sakura and Tenji clutched their stomachs with the force of their laughter, while Itachi settled on glaring at Sakura to hide the small smile that was playing on his lips at the memory. Shamed as he was, he could admit, looking back almost ten years on, that it was quite an amusing tale.

"I have it!" Tenji exclaimed, a glint in his eye.

"Have what?" Sakura asked, wiping her eyes from the tears of laughter.

"From now until the day he dies, Itachi Uchiha will now be known as Dango."

Sakura blinked and then a smile widened across her face and Itachi really did roll his eyes this time.

"Dango! Dango! Dango!" Tenji sang and laughed.

Itachi questioned why he had bothered to be polite to him at all. Clearly, Tenji was little more than a child stuck in the body of an old man.


	16. Part Six: The Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you can see where i'm trying to pull in canon scenes, and where they get turned around. Maybe it's subtle, but it's there.
> 
> tbh, i think my favourite relationship to write is Sakura and Matsuri! she wasn't supposed to be a big character actually, but Matsuri is stubborn and demanding to be written!

 

**P** **art** **Six: The Festival**

**Chapter 15**

Itachi put down the fuinjutsu scroll with a tired sigh. His knowledge of the skill was lacking and the level of the seal they might need against Zetsu was sure to many levels far above anything he or Sakura could create, it was pointless to keep reading and getting nowhere. He was no Uzumaki, and for their plan to work, he didn't need to be.

Sakura had gone to visit Matsuri again, leaving him alone in the house. They had still barely spoken, almost two days on since the dinners and he knew that it was mostly because of his own actions. He leaned back on the couch, slumping against the back of it in a very uncharacteristic manner.

He was a fool for reacting the way he had, but he couldn't stop himself. Now that he'd unintentionally realised he might have feelings beyond friendship for Sakura, he wasn't quite in control as he wanted to be. The thought of Sakura being escorted at the festival by Madara of all people, made him want to stab a kunai into the man's neck. Sakura withholding the dango that he'd apparently gifted her wasn't helping his quickly souring mood either. She'd purposefully told him that the bag contained dango as an apology from Madara for his outburst, and then taken it with her to see Matsuri. When she wanted to be, Sakura was downright evil.

He let out another sigh thinking about Matsuri and her husband. It was a show of trust on Madara's part that he had revealed Itachi's true heritage to them, but it made Itachi flush with unbridled anger at the unexpected betrayal. He had assumed there was an unspoken agreement and respect between the two men, but clearly, he had been mistaken. To make matters worse, Sakura's expression of shock, worry, and guilt made him think that she'd inadvertently given Madara the idea to do it and she knew it. If Itachi was going to be known as an Uchiha again, he'd prefer it to be on his own terms. Grudgingly, he could accept that Yuri and Matsuri were probably the best choices of whom to reveal too. He saw much of Shisui in both of them.

 _Shisui…_  The thought of his best friend brought his mind back to Danzo and his mood soured further. That clan would be in the village in only a few days and Itachi still had no firm ideas of what to do about the biggest threat to his clan.  _Don't do anything you'll regret_. Sakura's words echoed in his head again.

He ground his teeth. He needed to relax, to move, to do something other than wallow in his own thoughts. He left the house with a slam of the door and walked towards the village, searching for the chakra of someone he knew would be willing to trade blows with.

* * *

"We need to discuss the village leadership," Tobirama said bluntly.

Both Madara and Hashirama slumped slightly in their chairs. This wasn't something either of them wanted to discuss. Hashirama took a sneaking glance at Madara and saw that his face was set in a scowl, showing outwardly what he felt.

"Do we have too?" Hashirama moaned.

"Yes." Tobirama wasn't in the mood to play around. "We have five clan leaders coming here in the next few days. We have a developing village, but no clear leadership. It's important that we have matters settled so that we can tell them we at least have a plan."

Madara tapped his fingers on the table, looking at Tobirama calculatingly.

"Hashirama has discussed this. The village leader is to be called the Hokage, with their face carved upon the mountain." He paused. "He said to me that he thinks I should take the position."

Tobirama gave Hashirama a disapproving glare.

"I think Madara would be a good leader for the village," Hashirama defended himself.

He knew Tobirama's feelings on the matter, and he didn't want the day to end on a bad note for any of them, especially since the relationship between Tobi and Madara had been improving lately.

Tobirama sighed.

"I'm not denying that." He looked between the two of them. "But the leader of this village cannot be selected in the same ways that leaders have been in the past: by one person's opinion and power. This isn't a clan, this isn't a tyranny."

"You want democracy," Madara said.

"Konoha needs democracy," Tobirama amended.

Hashirama agreed. Tobirama looked at Madara, who seemed to be frowning.

"You both wanted to create a place of freedom and safety. To do that, the citizens must have a choice in who they want to be their leader."

"I agree," Madara said quietly.

Tobi took a deep breath.

"Then you understand that it will be Hashirama who'll become the first Hokage."

Hashirama winced at the bluntness of the statement.

"That's not necessarily true, Tobi," he protested. "Madara is as much the founder as I am. He's worked to develop the village, the infrastructure, to bring the Uchiha and the Senju together."

Madara was silent, his finger tapping stopped.

"No one's denying that brother," Tobirama said. "But Madara does not have the open support of the villagers, civilian and shinobi alike that you do. Many are still frightened of him."

Madara flinched at that.

"They just don't know him," Hashirama stressed.

Tobirama leaned forward, both his hands on the table as he stood, looking at them both firmly but tiredly.

"Do I really need to explain to you how a democratic election will work? Even to Madara, it's clear what the outcome will be. Hashirama is already acknowledged as the leader."

"Do not speak like I am not here," Madara said coldly. "If the village doesn't want me, so be it."

He stood, and Hashirama looked at him with a little despair. He was clearly upset at what Tobi had said.

"Don't look at me with pity, Hashirama," he said, walking out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

Hashirama let out a sigh and looked at his brother with a frown.

"Was that necessary?"

"It's better to hear the truth now than later," Tobirama said firmly. "You know as well as I do, and he does, that everything I said was true."

Hashirama folded his arms over his chest.

"He was still hurt by it," he said. "I want him to be recognised. He deserves that much."

"I know," Tobirama said. "But if he allows his pride to overrule the rational, he isn't suited to a leadership position. He needs to become more selfless before he can take the seat of Hokage."

"I am not selfless," Hashirama muttered.

"No," Tobirama agreed. "But you will put the village before your own interests."

"Madara would do that as well," Hashirama said, cutting his eyes to Tobirama.

"He needs time, and so does the village," Tobirama argued. "I'm only trying to tell you the truth about the feelings of the villagers now. Even the Uchiha recognise you as the true leader of the village."

 _But where did that leave Madara_ , Hashirama wondered. He couldn't imagine the village without him. His frown deepened.

"Perhaps he can become the second Hokage," Hashirama mused with a concerned frown.

Tobirama was quiet for a moment.

"Perhaps."

Hashirama looked at his brother with surprise, and Tobirama scoffed.

"Don't look at me like that. He's shrewd and cunning and clearly cares for his clan, he has a lot of ideas for the village and he's invested. But his current temperament isn't suitable. He'll grow in character with age, I can only hope."

"I'm glad you're finally seeing him more clearly," Hashirama noted, though he caught the last part of the sentence that Tobi muttered.

Tobirama grimaced.

"It appears I've taken the words of Itachi to heart. I don't know exactly the cause for whatever happened to the Uchiha, but I'd like to avoid it if possible, especially since we have forewarning."

"Good," Hashirama nodded, pleased.

Tobirama looked towards the door.

"We should find Madara. We still need to discuss how to approach the topic with our clans and the visitors coming."

"Let's go," Hashirama said, happy to leave behind his paperwork.

* * *

Itachi had initially wanted to seek out Hashirama for a spar. However, when he saw Madara leave the building with a dark atmosphere around him, he paused and reconsidered. Working out his frustration on the person who was causing it didn't seem like a bad idea. Especially since Madara looked like he needed to light the forest on fire. He trailed Madara to the summit of Hokage mountain. Madara stood at the edge, his body tense, his arms crossed, staring down at the village. Itachi frowned, there was something of contempt on his features.

"Enjoying the view?" He asked quietly, sidling up beside him.

Madara grunted in response. It didn't seem like he wanted company, but Itachi had a feeling that he needed to stay. He didn't speak again, and neither did Madara, not for many minutes.

"You are not from this time period."

It was a statement and not a question. It took Itachi by surprise.

"We shouldn't discuss this outdoors," he replied with some unease.

Madara grunted again in response, understanding the silent confirmation in Itachi's reply.

"Hashirama says you have ideas for the village. An academy."

Itachi nodded.

"Sakura would be good to talk to about implementing an efficient hospital."

"What's your opinion on the Hokage?"

Itachi glanced at his profile. Madara was still glowering at the village. That was what had him angry, the discussion of Hokage. It was obvious why it had been brought up: other clans were coming, they needed to have already discussed and planned the leadership role of the village. This was a point of contention in the village's past for Itachi. It was the discussion of Hokage that ultimately led to Madara's betrayal and downfall.

"The Hokage is a very important role," Itachi said eventually. "It should be filled by someone who is strong in both heart and skill, whose belief in the village does not and will never waver, who can put the village first, before clan, before self, before anything else."

Madara was silent and tense, but he listened.

"The Hokage is nothing without the support of his people," Itachi continued. "He has to be willing to die for them, and for them to believe it to be true."

Madara gave a little scoff.

"Don't be coy, Itachi."

"The Hokage should and must be Hashirama," Itachi said eventually.

He felt waves of resentment roll of Madara and felt tired and uncertain if he was going to come out of the conversation with the result he wanted, or if he was about to set Madara on the path of darkness again.

"It should be clear to you the kind of leader he is," Itachi kept talking, hoping to keep Madara's attention. "He's open and honest, he draws people in and makes them trust him. But he is shrewd when he must be, and will have to make decisions he doesn't agree with for the good of the people." He glanced at Madara. "He cannot protect the village without strength by his side."

"It seems the village only needs Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju to protect it," Madara sneered. "How will the Uchiha thrive under the influence of an idealistic fool and a prejudiced bastard?"

"I was not talking about Tobirama," Itachi said in a hard voice. "I was talking about Madara Uchiha. The founders of this village will always remain as Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, friends turned enemies turned allies who ended the era of clan warfare. You can't lie and say that it was all the doing of Hashirama, you also took steps towards this peace. You wanted this dream to come to fruition as much as he did. Are you going to drive a wedge between the Uchiha and Senju again, or will you stand side-by-side with Hashirama and show the strength of your clans to the world?"

Madara was quiet for a moment before he gave a small chuckle.

"You sound like him, spouting words of rallying hope."

Itachi sighed.

There can't be light without shadow. Konoha will thrive under the guiding light of Hashirama, but it will prosper under the protection of Madara. Can you understand that? You will be able to contribute to the village in ways that he cannot, do things that he cannot."

"He's right. I need you by my side, as my ally, my friend, my brother."

Hashirama appeared behind them, trailed by his ever-present silver and blue shadow.

"Two differing forces working together," Madara murmured, his gaze distant and thoughtful.

Hashirama looked at him seriously, then took his place beside Madara. Itachi took several steps back and looked at the view in front of him.

Hashirama Senju stood tall and proud, looking over the village. His long brown hair was neatly brushed, blowing gently in the wind. He wore a kimono of cream with red hakama, in the style of his clan. Madara stood beside him, his long, thick black hair hung down to his middle back. The Uchiha fan barely visible when the wind blew his hair enough to just glimpse at the red and white. They stood side-by-side, looking down at the village they created together, and Itachi was struck with how lucky he truly was to see this moment.

"This is our dream," Hashirama said quietly to his friends.

"Even without me, you would have made this happen," Madara replied. "You're stubborn."

Hashirama shook his head.

"No. Even if it did happen, it wouldn't have been the same."

Hashirama turned to his friend, and with some reluctance, Madara also turned to look at him.

"Only together can we make this place into what it's supposed to be, with everyone walking side-by-side and working together. We have to be the example, for all the ones who doubt."

Madara let out a sigh and tilted his head back slightly.

"You're a bleeding heart, Hashirama."

Madara glanced at Itachi and then back at Hashirama. Itachi felt how tense Tobirama was beside him, both of them watched with nervous anticipation at what Madara would say next.

"My clan, my people… are happy here," he spoke with some difficulty. "But there is fear of being controlled by this alliance."

Hashirama's eyes widened, and Tobirama stiffened.

"You think that if I become the leader, your clan will be put under my thumb?"

"It is a reasonable concern for a clan leader," Madara said.

"Do you truly believe I would do something like that?" Hashirama sounded hurt.

Madara's eyes flittered to Tobirama, and Hashirama's gaze hardened, while Madara's softened slightly when he looked back at him with guilt. Itachi could see that he didn't truly believe Hashirama would do that, but when Hashirama was gone… That was where the fear lay.

"If you want your clan and your family to be free of your own fears, lead the village into that future," Tobirama said, surprising them all. "What are your options? Clash with my brother, deny him the leadership, abandon the village, incite a revolution when war and fighting have finally been put behind us?" Madara gave him a hard look. "If you want to affect change, be a part of it, instead of running from it and blaming others for something hypothetical."

"Running?" Madara's voice was laced with anger. "I do not run."

"Then don't," Hashirama said, his arm on Madara's, his eyes wide. "Be here. If I'm going to have to take on the role of Hokage, I need you to stand at my side, to tell me what I'm doing wrong, to guide me."

Madara turned his back on them and faced the village.

"I expect to see you all tomorrow evening."

And then he was gone.

"What does that mean?" Itachi murmured quietly.

Hashirama gave a sigh.

"I don't know," he said, looking worried, in the direction of the Uchiha compound. "I guess he'll tell us his thoughts tomorrow."

Tobirama gave an annoyed harrumph.

"We need to have the leadership sorted out before then," he said with irritation. "The Sarutobi and Shimura arrive in the morning."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at them both.

"I'm surprised you're both so…inclusive."

Tobirama looked at him with narrowed and Hashirama gave him a look of surprise, but the worry returned. Itachi smirked, just a little with the lilt of his mouth.

"It seems history doesn't always repeat itself."

"That's what you're here for, isn't it?" Tobirama asked, some impatience and annoyance prevalent in his tone.

Itachi didn't respond.

"I was looking for you," he said to Hashirama, who gazed at him with interest. "It seems that you're busy, however."

"What did you need?" Hashirama asked.

"Nothing of importance," Itachi shrugged. "What's happening tomorrow evening?"

Hashirama flinched with a guilty stare.

"Nothing in particular," he replied evasively. "But, I guess we're going to Madara's estate."

Itachi looked at him suspiciously and heard Tobirama give a tired sigh beside him.

"Tomorrow evening will mark the beginning of the Konohagakure Founding Festival," he explained. "Madara is hosting a party at his estate. Both you and Sakura are expected to be there."

"Tobi! It's supposed to be a surprise," Hashirama exclaimed.

"I don't believe it would be wise for us to attend a function like that," Itachi said with a frown.

"You don't have a choice, unfortunately," Tobirama said, almost sounding apologetic. "You and Sakura are to be Madara's guests of honour."

Itachi stared dumbly at them.

"You didn't think to persuade him against this?"

Hashirama shook his head sadly.

"It appears his entire clan feels indebted to and fascinated by Sakura. It's unavoidable."

Itachi was beginning to wonder exactly what it was about Sakura that seemed to draw the Uchiha to her. He sighed. That was why Matsuri asked them to her house again tomorrow, for part preparations.

"Fine," Itachi said tiredly. "I don't like it, and nor will Sakura. But we'll be there." He glanced at Hashirama. "I suppose I do need that favour now." Hashirama perked up. "A spar?"

Hashirama beamed.

"I've been waiting for you to ask for days."

* * *

"Do you know what's really sad?" Sakura sighed, laying back on the grass beside Matsuri.

"No, what?"

"I'm a shinobi. I'm supposed to be able to put my emotions to the side and complete my mission," she said.

"But you're still a woman?" Matsuri supplied.

Sakura sighed again.

"I've never been good at putting my emotions to the side," she admitted. "I had teammates who were the most emotional people I've ever met, in their different ways. I think our team was the exception to the rule."

Matsuri giggled.

"There's nothing wrong with being a woman and being a shinobi," she said. "I wasn't on the front lines, but I was determined not to be the kind of woman who would sit back and let my future husband dictate my life and safety. I made it my business to learn how to defend myself, I even forced Madara into training me."

"The more you talk about Madara, the more I keep imagining him as a cuddly bear," Sakura said with a smile. "All claws and teeth, but somehow huggable."

Matsuri burst out laughing.

"He's certainly claws and teeth, but it would be someone special who managed to get a real hug from him. So do you want to tell me about these feelings that have you so conflicted?"

Sakura bit her lip, appreciating Matsuri more and more. She wasn't like Ino, who would have given Sakura harsh but fair words and forced it out of her, or like Hinata who would sit and listen quietly. She didn't ask questions and probe further into details that Sakura wouldn't expand on, like the 'mission' she mentioned. She didn't assume. She just talked to her, told stories, and remained a supportive presence. Never pushing too hard, but letting Sakura know she could and needed to get out of her own head. It was nice to speak woman to woman, instead of shinobi to shinobi.

"I don't even know how to begin," Sakura said after a moment.

"Hmmm. Is it a man?" She asked.

Sakura blushed.

"Yes…"

"Do you have feelings for this person?"

Sakura blushed deeper, her face covering her hands.

"I don't know," she replied.

She felt Matsuri turn her head to look at her, and Sakura turned as well, looking at Matsuri through her fingers.

"It's so confusing."

Matsuri looked at her the same way Ino often did as if to ask if she was serious.

"Why? Either you like them or you don't."

Sakura groaned.

"That's the thing," she said. "Of course I like him. We've been friends for so long, I've never looked at him that way. But now…I don't know. I feel like something is different. I'm not good at this stuff."

"Ah, so we are talking about Itachi then." Matsuri grinned wickedly. "Is this why there was tension between the two of you?"

"No," Sakura said. "That was… I don't know if I want to tell you."

"Oh, come on," Matsuri moaned. "You can't tell me half the story. I promise I won't tell a soul."

"You promise you won't tell a soul, even the person or people it involves?" Sakura looked at her doubtfully.

"Of course not," Matsuri looked mocked offended. "There is such a thing as secrets between women, you are aware of that, right?"

"Okay," Sakura said. "Fine. But… okay. Well. I had dinner with Madara the other night." Another grin spread of Matsuri's face and Sakura rolled her eyes. "He asked to escort me at the festival," Sakura mumbled.

"A date?" Matsuri's eyes widened.

"I rejected his offer."

"What! Why?"

"Because - I don't know. I just did," Sakura replied, averting her eyes.

Part of her wanted to accept, but most of her slammed an image of Itachi into her mind and she was forced to remember the mission, but also be aware that she really didn't know what she thought about Itachi and what he would think about her, and that mattered to her more than it ever had before.

"Did you tell Itachi?" Matsuri asked.

"Yes," Sakura said with a frown. "And then he got all weird and annoyed at me."

"Is that so?"

"Mmm. Well, I got angry back at him and now we're not really talking," Sakura said, feeling a pain in her chest.

"Sounds to me like Madara has taken an interest in you," Matsuri said thoughtfully. "More than I thought he had. I don't know if he's ever asked to escort someone before."

Sakura frowned and bit the inside of her cheek.

"Really?" She asked, glancing at Matsuri, who nodded.

"It also sounds like Itachi's jealous," she said.

"What would he be jealous of?" Sakura asked dubiously. "He sees me like a little sister. I think it's more likely he's just disappointed in me. We have other things to focus on."

Matsuri scoffed.

"Sister. Right," she drawled. "No. I know what it looks like to have an Uchiha look at you like a sister. It's the way Madara and Izuna look at me. Itachi does  _not_  look at you that way."

Sakura felt her stomach flutter.

"I don't know…" she trailed off.

"Well, in any case," Matsuri said, sitting up. "You might have things to focus on and a mission or whatever, but as long as you do nothing about Itachi and Madara nothing will change. So what are you going to do?"

Sakura sat up and looked at her with confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Matsuri smacked her on the forehead.

"You're really not good at this are you?" She asked, playfully teasing her. Sakura rubbed her forehead lightly. "You have two men interested in you, Sakura. Two very handsome men, one of which you live with, the other who has a lot of power and influence."

Sakura buried her head in her hands.

"Please, stop," she groaned.

Matsuri laughed lightly.

"Maybe it's like that for you now, but soon enough, you'll have to face it. It's better to get these things done quickly than let it linger and cause more hurt down the line."

"You're just making all this up." Sakura poked her tongue out at Matsuri. "You've been married too long and need some gossip."

Matsuri lightly hit her arm.

"Hey, that's not fair. I care about you. I care about Madara."

"Not Itachi?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"I don't really know him," Matsuri shrugged. "But I can see that you care about him. So, don't let Madara think there's something between you when there's not."

Sakura remembered the heat between them, the beating of his heart under her hand and blushed. Matsuri didn't miss it.

"Or is there?"

Sakura let out a breath.

"He reminds me of someone I used to know sometimes, and other times he's very much…a man."

Matsuri stared at her and then burst out laughing, laying back on the ground.

"You're a mess, Sakura!"

Sakura grinned, embarrassed but happy to be talking so freely with her.

"You're not helping me at all!"

"I can't tell you what to feel," Matsuri said when her laughter settled down. "But I'll be here whenever you need to talk, okay?"

Sakura smiled.

"Okay," she said.

"You should talk to Itachi," Matsuri said. "It's obvious you're both here for something important, and you need each other. Just don't make him into something you regret."

"Thanks," Sakura said, grimacing but grateful.

Matsuri smiled brightly.

"Make sure you're here tomorrow at lunchtime, okay? I have a huge day planned for us."

"I better get a lot of rest today then." Sakura shook her head, feeling some trepidation at Matsuri's plans.

"Lots and lots of beauty rest," Matsuri grinned.

* * *

They lay quietly beside each other again that night. Sakura had slipped into her futon first, turning to face the wall. Itachi followed approximately half an hour later, but he knew that she was still awake. He could see the tense set of her body beneath the blanket.

He quietly got into his own futon and lay on his back. They had still barely spoken to one another after they both returned from their outings in the day, though he had observed that Sakura seemed more and more uncomfortable as time went on. He wondered how to speak to her. There was an atmosphere between them that they'd never shared before, and he didn't know how to breach it. All he knew was that he wanted to.

"Itachi," Sakura whispered his name.

Itachi stilled in surprise.

"Yes?" He replied, equally quiet.

"Are we okay?"

She sounded nervous and muffled by the blanket.

Itachi clenched his jaw. Of course, they were okay. He couldn't imagine them not being okay. All he wanted was to assure her that they were always going to be okay. Whatever that looked like, whatever it entailed.

He turned on his side and looked at her, or rather, the back of her head peeking over the top of the blanket.

"Sakura." He breathed her name. "Turn around."

His breath began shallower and quicker as the seconds past and she didn't move. Finally, Sakura slowly turned and faced him and Itachi felt the knot in his stomach slowly release.

His black eyes met her green ones and he felt a shiver run through his body. She looked so innocent, so nervous with big doe-eyes, looking expectantly at him. He swallowed.

"What did we promise, when we first came here?"

Her brow furrowed.

"We'd have each other's back?"

He gave a gentle, awkward nod.

"That's never going to change," he said with a soft smile. "We're okay."

It took a moment, but Itachi saw her smile back and tuck her head further into the blanket in a way that made him feel soft on the inside. He held back his hand from reaching for hers.

"I'm glad," she said quietly. "We've got so many things to worry about. I don't want to worry about us too."

 _Us._  Itachi tried not to read into that small word. Before he realised what he was doing, his arm had reached out, and he'd tucked a stray strand of pink hair behind Sakura's ear. They both froze at the contact. Her eyes turned from nervous to shocked, wide and unblinking, staring into him. He looked at his hand, his fingers, resting on her head behind her ear. Slowly, he drew his hand back, shocked at himself.

"Itachi?" Her whisper was quieter now, more nervous, a little broken.

Itachi clenched his jaw and turned over, looking away from her.

"Good night, Sakura," he murmured.

After a moment, Sakura replied.

"Good night."

Neither of them slept for a long time and they both knew it, but they didn't speak again.

* * *

Matsuri opened the door and Sakura gave her a weak smile and wave.

"Hello."

Matsuri gave her a look that screamed disapproval and irritation.

"Good sleep?" She asked with sarcasm, looking between her and Itachi, who, Sakura noted with annoyance looked like he slept beautifully well. Which she knew he didn't since she was certain that he fell asleep after she did.

"Yep," Sakura lied brightly.

"Come on in," Matsuri said, grabbing her hand. "Hello, Itachi!" She called, dragging Sakura inside, flashing him a smile. "I'm glad you look like you got some sleep. It's going to be a long day."

"So I hear," Itachi replied. Sakura frowned and gave him a questioning look. Did he know something that she didn't?

"Did you talk to Madara?" Matsuri asked the same quizzical look on her face as Sakura's.

To Sakura's surprise, he nodded. Matsuri looked strangely satisfied with his response and Sakura felt a flash of irritation that she was being left out.

"Why don't you spend some time with Yuri and Kagami?" Matsuri suggested to him. "Sakura and I need some girl time."

Sakura gave her an exasperated look.

"What for?"

"Don't you trust me?" Matsuri asked, looking innocent.

"No," Sakura replied flatly.

"Too bad," Matsuri sang, dragging her into the other room.

It was a spacious area with tatami mats on the floor, a dresser and two elegant and beautiful kimono's hanging on the wall. Sakura's eyes widened at them.

"What are those?" Sakura asked.

"Beautiful, right?" Matsuri replied. "They're for us. For tonight."

"What's tonight?" Sakura asked suspiciously, but she couldn't take her eyes on the kimono. They were truly stunning and looked way more expensive than Sakura would ever have been able to wear or afford before.

"Dinner," Matsuri said. "We're going to make a statement."

Sakura hesitated, glancing between the door and the kimono. Matsuri gripped her hand tighter.

"Sorry, Sakura. You don't have a choice, I'm kidnapping you." She winked at Sakura. "Let's knock Itachi off his feet."

Sakura blushed furiously, remembering the previous night, the unexpected touch and tenderness in his face. The shock at his own actions. The insane amount of stomach butterflies it gave her.

"Okay," she mumbled.

Matsuri looked gleeful, and Sakura was suddenly wishing that Ino was there to be her buffer. Tears pricked at her eyes and she felt Matsuri's hand soften in hers.

"Sorry," Sakura sniffed. "I was just thinking about an old friend."

Matsuri squeezed her hand. Sakura glanced through the door and saw Itachi sitting beside Yuri who held Kagami. He was more relaxed, almost smiling even, as the men talked quietly and he almost eagerly took Kagami when Yuri offered.

"This might be the first time I've felt like everything is going to be okay after all," Sakura said quietly, giving Matsuri a trembling smile. "Thank-you."

Matsuri bit her lower lip and blinked, her dark lashes becoming wet with unshed tears.

"We can't cry," she whined. "It'll ruin our faces before we get beautiful!"

Sakura gave a sobbing laugh and hugged her. Matsuri hugged her back and Sakura caught Itachi's eyes through the doorframe. She smiled at him, and with a slight frown that smoothed out quickly, he smiled back.

_Everything was going to be okay._


	17. Extra 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometime between Chapters 10 and 13….

**EXTRA TALE #3:**  
**BABYSITTING**

* * *

 The day had been fair and quiet. Sakura had gone out once again to check up on her patients, Matsuri and Kagami, leaving Itachi at home alone in the house. As much as he had portrayed to the world that he was a quiet, almost solitary person, that wasn't the case at all. For all his life, Itachi had always had people around him. He might seek out time alone, but he actually enjoyed company. As a boy, he'd had his parents until Sasuke was born, and after, he dedicated a lot of time to Sasuke. Then, there was Shisui and eventually Izumi. Even Kakashi had become company he sought out at times, though their companionship wasn't as regular or normal as he imagined other peoples friendships were. Sakura had also come along, inserting a different kind of personality than he was used to. She was far more vibrant than anyone else he knew - aside from Shisui, and though she hadn't lost her youthful innocence, it was tampered by loss and determination after all the things that happened with Sasuke.

Now, Itachi was more isolated than he'd ever been, with only the colourful personality of Sakura for comfort and company. But she was carving a place for herself in this time far more effectively than he was, and he was beginning to miss her company when she left. He refused to think that he was jealous of the ones that were taking her attention from him. He was considering going out to train when the door to the house was flung open, and he was greeted by the sight of a frantic and harried looking Sakura holding a bundle of something in her arms. A sniffling caught his attention, and his eyes drifted to the bundle that he realised was a baby.

"Help me," she whimpered.

Itachi rose to his feet immediately, concerned and amused by her expression. With practiced care, he took the now wailing baby from her arms. Kagami quietened immediately, gazing curiously at Itachi with dark, wide eyes. Itachi gave Kagami a soft smile. Itachi had always loved children.

"Have you kidnapped the baby?" Itachi asked Sakura lightly.

Sakura was staring at him with a disbelieving and annoyed expression.

"Are you some kind of baby god?" She whimpered. "He wouldn't stop crying for me."

She sighed sadly and plopped down on the couch. Itachi remained standing, looking at her with an amused smile.

"No, I didn't kidnap Kagami," she explained mournfully. "Matsuri is pretty much recovered now and she asked if I could take Kagami for the afternoon to let her and Yuri have some time alone together for a few hours."

Itachi nodded in understanding. He remembered his parents being more tired than usual after Sasuke was born. Itachi looked over at Sakura again and suddenly realised that she was crying.

"B-but as soon as Matsuri and Yuri left, Ka-Kagami started c-crying. I didn't kn-now what else to do," she sobbed, putting her face in her hands. "I've never taken c-care of a-a baby before."

Itachi looked at her with exasperated fondness. She was staring at Kagami with longing and betrayal and confusion. Her eyes flickered to Itachi's face and the look of betrayal deepened, her eyes lined with helplessness.

"What are you?" She whispered, betrayed.

Itachi sighed.

"I took care of Sasuke as a baby," he said.

Sakura rolled her eyes, then wiped them with the back of her hand and wrist.

"That doesn't mean anything. Shisui told me Sasuke was a weird baby, not a normal baby."

Itachi chuckled.

"I couldn't say that for certain. He was the only baby I knew."

Sakura looked doubtful. She looked at the calm Kagami in Itachi's arms, she stood and tentatively held out her hands to take him.

"Can I?" She asked.

Itachi looked down at the squashed face of Kagami. _Shisui's nose_ , he thought with some nostalgia. Kagami was blinking tiredly, he gave a little yawn and Itachi felt a surge of affection for the child. With some reluctance, he passed him over to Sakura's outstretched arms. The moment Kagami was out of his grasp the boy trembled and his face reddened. Sakura looked at the baby with despair when he started to wail again.

"He hates me!" She cried. "I don't understand."

She tried to rock him and cuddle him, but eventually, with Itachi looking on with some pity, Sakura gave up Kagami. The baby settled again in his arms, the crying ceasing after a few moments.

"He doesn't hate you," Itachi said to Sakura. "He can feel how tense and nervous you are. He's responding to you in kind."

Sakura sniffed. Itachi nodded to the couch, "Sit," he instructed her.

She nodded and sat. He sat beside her and began to talk to her. He wanted her to relax and forget about the crying and her anxiety. He told her stories about Sasuke as a baby, and how Shisui used to tease him about being Itachi's little shadow. How Izumi tried to hold him once and he screamed and pushed her away. He asked Sakura to tell him about what Sasuke and Naruto were like on missions together, revealing the ridiculous things Sasuke used to say and making them both laugh.

Sakura tucked a strand of her behind her ear, and Itachi looked at the peaceful face of Kagami in his arms.

"Want to try and hold him again?" He asked her. Immediately she tensed. "Just relax," he said soothingly to her.

She nodded with some hesitation, and let out a deep breath. Her shoulders relaxed and she took Kagami from Itachi. Seconds ticked by, and Kagami stayed quiet, staring up at Sakura with curious eyes. Sakura's own eyes widened and then softened, a smile spread over her lips and her cheeks pinked.

Itachi felt a warmth spread in him when he looked at her looking at the baby. His chest both tightened and fluttered at once.

"Hi," she breathed, gazing with affection at Kagami. "Hi, baby."

She looked at Itachi with an utterly joyful smile, which he returned, his eyes crinkling at the sight of her pure happiness. He felt another, more insistent flutter in his chest at her. Sakura, now relaxed and clearly enamoured with the gurgling Kagami looked, he realised, completely at home with a child in her arms.

They spent the afternoon playing house, something that raised strange and conflicting feelings in Itachi. He kept imagining Sakura as a mother, holding her own child - their child - and Itachi had never felt more relieved when she returned Kagami back to Matsuri.

He slept restlessly that night, torn between dreams of black and red and missing eyes, and pink and green and vibrant life.


	18. Part Six: The Festival

 

**Part Six: The Festival**

**Chapter 16**

Lanterns lit the courtyard and filled the space with a warm, lively light, illuminating the crowd of Uchiha, Senju, mixed civilians and curious Sarutobi and Shimura clan members. The music played at a pleasant level, filling the background with beautiful noise, and Tobirama wondered at the ease that the musicians of his and the Uchiha clan seemed to get along. It had been like that from the beginning, he'd noted. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that they were not shinobi, or perhaps it was that they were artists. In any case, he was glad there wasn't tension between them and they played together harmoniously.

The night was as perfect and well planned as Madara said it would be. Not that he had any doubts; Madara was a meticulous planner and he was clearly set on making the night one to remember and to impress, despite his reluctance to open it to the public. Tobirama was also pleased to note that there was very little tension in the air between the previously rivaled clans. The inclusion of the civilian population, mostly merchants and shop owners, that made up a growing portion of Konoha made up for any noticeable lack of mingling.

There was curiosity on the faces of most people, conversation flowed. Everyone was dressed in formal and expensive clothes or as much as they were able to afford to be. Even Tobirama had been forced into donning a blue and white yukata kimono with a belt, which was as close to formal wear as he was willing to be. Hashirama, Madara, and Izuna were all dressed in formal kimonos, and Tobirama felt some small pity for Izuna who seemed to want to rip his own garment off and change when he saw Tobirama's choice of outfit.

Madara had greeted both himself and Hashirama but remained cool towards them. However, he interacted politely with the heads of the Shimura and Sarutobi, not even reacting to the obviously provocative statements the Shimura would occasionally through into the conversation regarding his clan. It surprised and impressed Tobirama, though he wondered what the Uchiha was planning. There was a glint in his eyes that made Tobirama feel nervous. He resolved to keep an eye on the Uchiha for the remainder of the evening, once again wondering if he was right or not to take Itachi's words so seriously.

* * *

Itachi quickly found himself reaching a point where it was becoming impossible to deny the feelings that had so suddenly made themselves known to him. It was like he'd been struck with a kunai he couldn't remove. It was unavoidable, undeniable, unrelenting and seeped deeper and deeper into his bones. It was made doubly hard force them back into a place of propriety when he had never seen Sakura look like she did now.

The state of the Konoha that Itachi grew up in meant that there was little occasion for there to be an event where full traditional dress, other than a wedding, was necessary to don. By the time Sakura became a genin, there was hardly any reason for a shinobi to wear anything other than training or mission wear, and that held even more true for Sakura herself with everything that happened to her team.

So this was the first time he'd ever seen her dressed with the intent to look beautiful, and he had never been so overcome with gratitude that he was able to see it. Itachi would have to remember to thank Matsuri for so cunningly helping to create the image that was before him. She was dressed with simplicity and elegance that exemplified her natural beauty. Her kimono was white and pink, her hair was pulled back at one side and left down at the other. It was longer than it had been before they arrived. Reaching just past her shoulders instead of cropped above it. Her hair accessory was white. The only real colour was the green in her eyes, that seemed to shine even brighter in the haze of pink and white.

He barely noticed Matsuri standing beside her in a dark coloured kimono that matched her hair, with blue and red patterns Itachi couldn't distinguish without paying attention - and he wasn't.

"So." Matsuri broke the silence that had held for the few moments the women had left their room. "What do you think?"

"You've outdone yourself, Suri," Yuri said with warmth. "You both look beautiful."

Matsuri blushed and grinned happily at his words.

Itachi's eyes hadn't left Sakura's. A pretty pink blush spread over her cheeks and she averted her eyes low, left and right before she peeked back up at him.

"What do you think, Itachi?" Matsuri's hands waved over Sakura. "She looks pretty good, huh?"

"That she does," Itachi murmured.

The pink on Sakura's cheeks deepened.

* * *

"Brother," Izuna leaned down to speak to him. "They're approaching."

Madara gave Izuna a slight of acknowledgment and turned to Hashirama.

"Sakura and Itachi are arriving," he said.

Hashirama nodded and opened his mouth to talk, but Madara turned away before he could. Soon enough he would discuss the matters unsettled between them, but not yet.

Madara had been keeping his mind occupied by wondering what Matsuri would do with Sakura. It was easy to ignore the jibes of the fool Shimura and pitying and apologetic looks of the Sarutobi by keeping his mind more pleasantly occupied, although he had been distracted by Itachi's silent confirmation that he and Sakura were essentially time-travellers and a sense that he was constantly being watched.

Madara stood at the front small staircase that descended from the house to the courtyard, where the clan heads and other important members of Konoha were gathered, and motioned for the music to stop. It slowed until it stopped more naturally than cutting off immediately, and the attention of the courtyard just below was suddenly on him. This was the part of his role that Madara disliked the most, he hated making speeches, and he disliked the feeling of so many eyes on him and his fingers itched to find their way around the hilt of his sword that had been securely locked away.

"Good evening," he stated loudly. "It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to my home. Tonight is a night of importance for many reasons: it marks the opening celebration for the first Founding Festival of Konohagakure, the village founded in friendship and peace by the Uchiha and Senju clans."

A cheer rose up from the crowd, and with a quick side-eye to Hashirama, the man stepped forward with some surprise to stand beside him. Madara swallowed, wondering if he was going to regret the words he was about to speak.

"It is my honour, as the clan head of the Uchiha and founder of this village to announce that it is the wish of myself and my clan that the position of Hokage, the leader of this village, belong to…" he paused, catching sight of pink hair entering through the gates. He took a breath and then continued, "Hashirama Senju."

There was a ripple of surprise through the crowd, and from Hashirama himself, who turned to Madara.

"Are you serious?" He questioned with disbelief.

"Of course," Madara said dismissively but pleased he was able to make the man flustered and even more pleased by the shocked look on Tobirama's face. It would be his pleasure to keep the Senju on their toes.

"But I will not hesitate to take that place from you if you step out of line," he threatened.

Part of it was a joke, but Madara was also deadly serious. He would rip Hashirama's throne from him if he felt his clan was threatened.

Hashirama beamed and laughed, clapping him on the shoulder.

Madara had spent hours after he spoke with Itachi, Tobirama, and Hashirama going over everything they had said to him. The logic in their words was hard to deny, and it was even harder for him to break through the barrier in his mind that wanted to react impulsively and defensively against what they said. Sometimes Madara felt like there were two voices in his head. One that desperately wanted to stand beside his friend Hashirama, and another that rejected the idea, resisted the change, made it all seem like an affront to his character and plan. As the days passed, he found the latter voice more and more irrational, and it was drowned out by the former.

He wondered if two months ago he would have come to the conclusion he had the previous day. Although he still felt hurt at the feelings of the village, even a little resentful at the three of them, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were right. Truly, he did know that Hashirama would be a far better leader than him. He simply didn't have the patience to deal with the menial tasks that seemed to be piling up in the running of the village. Madara was more of a strategist. He could create something strong within the village, he felt it, and he knew that it couldn't happen if he sat on the highest seat of power dealing with petty politics.

When he had thought back to his childhood, all he could remember was the excessive talk of the power of the Uchiha. Power. Power. Power. Was that all his clan was and wanted? Was that what he wanted? In many ways for many things, yes. The power to protect. To defend. To defeat. Hashirama also desired power, but it was a different pursuit than the Uchiha. His beliefs were set in the foundations of peace. War and peace. Two opposites working alongside one another, as the Uchiha Stone Tablet said.

He had sent disgruntled messengers to each of the homes of the Uchiha late in the night, calling for a clan meeting an hour after dawn, before the preparations for the party would begin. It had taken less than he imagined to convince the clan of Hashirama's suitability to the seat of Hokage. His strongest opposition had come from Izuna, though he wasn't surprised. It was concerning him more and more, and Izuna was becoming more withdrawn from him, though it seemed an unconscious action.

He'd then sent messages to the civilian leaders in the village, asking for their support. He wanted the discussion of Hokage to be finished with. He didn't believe the Sarutobi or Shimura had a claim to vote. They hadn't been there since the beginning and been a part of developing the village. Madara didn't care for their opinions, though he was glad they had wanted to be a part of the future. A future, he hoped, that would see an unprecedented peace in the Elemental Nations.

In the crowd, several civilian leaders, brought forward by the extremely reluctant Izuna, also pledged their support to back Hashirama as the Hokage, as Madara had planned to happen. The crowd seemed happy, with sporadic clapping and cheering running through it.

"Democratic, yes?" Madara questioned Tobirama, who just shook his head but was clearly happy if a little confused at the unexpected turn of events.

Hashirama, once again the center of attention and thriving in it, waved with some enthusiasm at the crowd.

Madara let out a huff of breath.

"I'm not finished with my announcements," he said to Hashirama. "You're not the most important person here, you know."

Hashirama looked downcast at the disparagement but slunk back beside his brother and the Sarutobi and Shimura, who had watched the entire event unfold with some interest, leaving the attention on Madara once again.

Madara took a breath and stared down at the chattering crowd until they quietened down.

"Tonight is also a night of importance for my own clan," Madara announced, the curiosity of those who weren't Uchiha was peaked. "The Uchiha are quite aware, however, others may not be, that there is one person that we honour tonight for deeds and debts that cannot be repaid."

He eyed Matsuri who was ushering Sakura towards the stage.

"Some months ago, my brother's life was saved, and more recently, the lives of a mother and unborn child were saved from almost certain death."

He caught Sakura's eye, who was staring at him with shock and disbelief. He smirked as Matsuri pushed her up the stairs as gracefully as she could in their kimonos.

"The woman, the healer and the shinobi who saved them, is this woman here - " Madara held out his hand to Sakura, who after a moment's hesitation and the narrowing of her eyes, took it. " - Sakura Haruno."

She slipped her hand from his quickly and stood awkwardly at his side, her face burning red with embarrassment and probable anger, although Madara thought she looked even more lovely when she was angry.

"Tonight, the Uchiha honour her as our special guest, with hearts filled with gratitude."

At the base of the stairs, Matsuri was joined by Yuri and a bemused looking Itachi. Matsuri began to clap, telling those around her that Sakura had saved her life and that Kagami was healthy because of Sakura. Word spread through the crowd in a rising hum, but Madara wasn't finished.

"We also honour her friend, Itachi, whom I have decided to adopt into our clan as a cousin."

There was a shock throughout the crowd, and Masturi proceeded to urge Itachi to ascend the stairs as well. It seemed that Madara was doing well in his shock value this evening. Even the elders were surprised, but they couldn't dare refute him in public like this, though their faces glowered with his omission and deception.

"To Sakura Haruno and Itachi Uchiha," Madara announced smoothly.

The Uchiha of the crowd bowed to them, followed quickly by the rest of the crowd, though they were a little more confused and less invested in the event. Madara, satisfied with his clan's response, also gave them both small bows.

"What are you doing?" Sakura hissed at him. "This is completely insane and unnecessary."

Madara gave her a smug look that seemed to infuriate her more and Madara smirked at her indignant expression.

"I spoke no word of a lie," he said. "Tonight is to honour you. You have given my clan back three lives that may have otherwise been lost, and to me, you have given more than you know by saving them."

Sakura clenched her jaw.

"I don't need a party or thanks! I was doing my job." She waved an arm out, motioning to the crowd. "You should have told me, not tricked me into coming!"

"You wouldn't have come if you knew," Izuna appeared at Madara's shoulder, a smile on his face. "You look beautiful, by the way."

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, little Uchiha. I'm not in the mood for compliments."

Hashirama stepped forward and addressed the milling crowd, much to Madara's relief, and they went back to gossiping and chatting amongst themselves, casting glances to the strangers who had suddenly become two very important people in the village, overshadowing the Sarutobi and Shimura, who were no longer the main source of gossip.

Madara had to agree with Izuna's assessment. Sakura did look beautiful. Her hair was soft and glowed in the warm light from the lanterns. Matsuri had braided it intricately back from her face on one side, letting parts of it hang prettily, while the rest was clipped back with a white flower and left down. It had grown in the few months that she had arrived, and hung down at her shoulders, instead of above it. Her kimono was a flatteringly simple and elegant design of white that faded to a pink just a shade lighter than her hair. Delicate spring flowers decorated it, and Sakura's tanned skin and vibrant green eyes stood out against the blended colours of her hair and kimono. From afar, she looked as though she should be serene and pleasant, but instead was glaring at him. Even so, she was still beautiful in her rage.

Hashirama turned to them.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," he said apologetically. "I told him this was a bad idea."

Sakura's glare became an annoyed pout at them both.

Madara scoffed at Hashirama's half-truth.

"You wanted to do this as much as I did. I was only going to have my clan here, but you forced it to be an open party for the village."

Hashirama looked wounded.

"That's not true at all! It was Tobi!" He pointed at his brother who merely rolled his eyes. "Have you really been ignoring me all day just to make that announcement? I was seriously worried."

Madara smirked.

"Actually, it was rather enjoyable."

Hashirama's mood dropped.

"You're so mean, Madara."

"As much as I hate to interrupt your petty squabble," Sakura drawled. "You should know that I am not happy with any of you, and will not be talking to any of you for the rest of the evening."

With that, she huffed away down the stairs and rejoined Matsuri, who apologised with a grin - which Madara was almost annoyed by. How had Suri managed to only need to grin to get Sakura's acceptance? - and proceeded to introduce her to some of the other clan who had gathered close by and were eager to meet the mysterious healer that the Uchiha had been full of rumours about for weeks.

Hashirama looked truly deflated at her departure, slinking back to his brother, who reprimanded him for behaving so poorly in front of their guests and new allies, only to have Sasuke Sarutobi clap him on the back and tell Tobirama that pretty girls wounded the hearts of even the most stoic of men. Madara had a feeling that Sarutobi would become close to Hashirama quickly with that kind of attitude and personality and felt a touch of possessiveness over their slowly rekindling friendship.

Itachi, Madara noticed, had remained silent and was staring after Sakura with a hooded look on his face. Madara swallowed down the annoyance he felt at the look, which he recognised easily.

"Will you be joining her?" Madara asked him.

Itachi barely glanced at him, but his tone and stance were wary. He kept his eyes on Sakura, and Madara's annoyance grew visible. Even Izuna glanced between the two of them with some concern.

"That was smoothly accomplished," Itachi eventually said. "An adoption announced publicly that I'm now to be known as Itachi Uchiha."

"It simplifies matters," Madara replied with a slight frown.

"For now," Izuna muttered, stepping into the conversation. "Wait until you see the elders. I'm not going to meet with them, that's all going to be on your head."

Madara only grunted in response. Izuna gave Itachi a look that might have been sympathy and then told Madara he was going to join Yuri.

When Izuna left, Itachi turned to look at Madara seriously.

"We will meet tonight," he said with some coldness in his voice. "There are things you need to know before you complicate matters further by recklessly disregarding our warnings for remaining apart from society."

Madara raised an eyebrow at his tone and replied equally cooly.

"As you wish," he said.

Itachi walked down to join Sakura, and Madara was left alone at the top of the stairs to look down at the crowd. He wanted to join them, but duty dictated that for the moment he needed to remain amongst the leaders of the new village. He kept an ear to the trivial conversation, only paying attention when Sarutobi said that he had reached out to the Nara about the village, which Tobirama was grateful for and explained why they had contacted the village. The three long-time allied clans would be arriving in the following days, along with the Uzumaki, which Tobirama had kept from Hashirama, and Madara was quite interested to see his reaction at their arrival, after everything he'd heard about Mito from Tobirama.

Madara couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

* * *

Sakura had never felt more uncomfortable and scrutinised in her entire life. Her entire being screamed at her to flee from the party, but the stunning kimono and her ridiculously painful shoes wouldn't allow it. There was no way she was going to ruin this outfit. It was too nice and she didn't want to owe Matsuri more than she did.

Sakura really did feel good though, and she wanted to show it off. It wasn't often she was able to dress up, and after crying in the afternoon, all her pent up emotion was released and she felt lighter somehow freer. She felt like she wasn't forgetting her life before, but she was reaching a place where it was becoming less of heartbreaking memory and wrenching loss, and more of fond nostalgia. Acceptance, she realised faintly as she tried to pay attention to the buzzing conversation around her.

Standing between Matsuri and Itachi, with Izuna and Yuri surrounding them, and knowing that Hashirama, Madara and Tobirama were all watching over her, made her feel a sense of peace and belonging that she'd been missing. However, deep worry had settled into her stomach. Madara, that idiot, had brought herself and Itachi to the forefront of everyone's attention. Although she and Itachi had planned to bring more attention to themselves, it was supposed to be in a smaller more controlled way to attract one thing, not everyone all at once!

She fought back her irritation with a smile to the Uchiha and Senju that were clamouring around her and Itachi with curiosity like they were shiny new toys. Which, Sakura thought with a small amount of sarcasm, they were.

It became apparent to her that Matsuri and Kana, the woman who had assisted Sakura in the birth of Kagami, had spread word quickly around the Uchiha about the "miraculous" skill she possessed.

She didn't realise she had moved closer and closer to Itachi until she felt her arm brush his.

"Sorry," she mumbled to him.

He gave her a quick, reassuring smile.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly.

"I'm not used to all this attention," she shook her head. "I didn't want this."

"I know," he replied.

She felt his hand slip into hers and give a quick squeeze before he let her go again. She felt reassured and heated all at once.

"If you want to disappear, I'll help."

"What are you two whispering about?" Matsuri asked, tugging on Sakura's arm.

"Nothing," Sakura replied smoothly, patting her hair.

Matsuri raised her delicate black eyebrow, not believing her.

"Izuna was just telling his version of the day Kagami was born," Matsuri told her. "You should pay attention, he's calling you a demon."

Sakura turned to Izuna, who coughed when he heard what Matsuri said. Sakura stared at him with narrowed eyes. It was harder than she realised to look intimidating while she was wearing such a beautiful kimono, but from the hint of fear in Izuna's expression, she was still succeeding.

"That's not what I said, Suri!" He complained. "I just meant that Sakura knew what she was doing."

"Of course I knew what I was doing," Sakura scoffed. "I'm a medic. You, on the other hand, were totally incompetent at everything aside from fetching Kana," she said.

There was a chorus of laughter from the people surrounding them. Sakura folded her arms over her chest.

"How are you going to have a family one day if you're too panicked to even help your friend have a baby?"

"Hopefully his future wife won't be as close to dying as I was," Matsuri piped up.

"Exactly," Izuna defended himself. "Suri was a special case. It was different from normal."

"You've never seen a birth before," Kana said with some laughter in her old voice. "How would you know?"

Izuna flushed red, aware that the women's gazes were all amused.

"My brother will surely rise to the occasion," Madara's voice came from behind them. Sakura bristled. "Though he'll likely require assistance since he's prone to overreacting, perhaps it will be him that Sakura needs to revive."

"Madara," Izuna groaned when the rest of the group laughed at Madara's arrival and unexpected teasing.

The Senju women gave each other shocked glances, but the Uchiha seemed more at ease. Sakura had to keep her surprise and delight hidden, she'd just discovered that Madara was capable - and perhaps known - to make jokes.

"Forgive me for interrupting," Madara intoned, catching Sakura's eye.

She shot him a deadly smile hidden by false politeness. He didn't react to it.

"But the presence of Sakura and Itachi has been requested by the leaders of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans."

Sakura stilled and looked at Itachi, who looked blankly forwards, showing no emotion at all. Her heart hammered in her chest, tight with worry. Her hands itched to reach for his, but she held back and only nodded at Madara, departed from the group with a small polite bow and ascended the stairs again to where the leaders of the clans were gathered.

She didn't have a good look at the area before when she was forced up, but now, she looked. There were only five stairs, but her kimono made stairs difficult. It was clearly a construct built and placed in a free position in the courtyard for the evening - most likely by Hashirama - as a place for the clan leaders. Madara was a lot of things, but Sakura could not imagine him having a dais in his house just because he could. He wasn't impractical. At the top of the stairs, she was tall enough to look down at the crowd and see the tops of heads. On the dais itself was a long table with cushions around it. Several men and women were seated and discussing something or other. Sake was opened and being shared. Madara led them to the head of the table.

"Sakura, Itachi!" Hashirama stood with a smile, breaking from his conversation. "Please, sit." He indicated to the two cushions at the head of the table.

Sakura was about to reject the offer. The position was too honourable for her, she wasn't the head of the table kind of girl, but to her surprise, Itachi sat without a word or hesitation and Sakura followed suit after a moment.

Madara sat across from Hashirama, beside Tobirama and adjacent Itachi. Izuna was absent, Sakura noticed. She was between Itachi and Hashirama, her hands clenched on her thighs, feeling the weight of people's gaze on her.

"I understand the leaders of the clans wished to greet us," Itachi said coolly.

Sakura didn't look at him, but she saw the flickering of eyes to him from the Senju brothers and their confusion at his tone of voice.

"That's right," Hashirama said pleasantly. "May I introduce you, Itachi Uchiha and Sakura Haruno, to Sasuke Sarutobi and Yori Shimura."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Sakura said politely.

Itachi bowed his head to them, studying them. Sakura did the same. She could see a lot of Lord Third in Sasuke Sarutobi, and she guessed that the man was his father. She wondered if Lord Third was born yet, it would be around the right time, she guessed. He had a kind and pleasant smile. She tentatively returned it before she swallowed her nervousness and looked at Yori Shimura.

He was fairly normal, Sakura saw with some surprise. Part of her had been expecting him to look, well, she wasn't entirely sure what he would look like, but he just looked like any other clan leader. A dignified person with short dark hair, sharp dark eyes and a face that carefully took in everything and filed it away. Sakura hadn't had much contact with Danzo, but she'd had enough to recognise that this man shared the same shaped eyes, and it was unsettling when she realised it.

"We've heard a lot about you both," Sasuke Sarutobi said.

"Indeed," Yori said. "Apparently two people who appeared out of thin air seem to have made fast friends in high places."

Sakura felt taken aback by his comment. There was accusation in his voice and her throat felt dry. The atmosphere at the table seemed to freeze, and Sakura saw that Hashirama was frowning.

Yori's eyes flickered from her to Madara.

"You seem to have situated yourselves favourably with the Uchiha," he said blandly.

Sakura's eyebrow twitched. As regular as Yori Shimura looked, he was an ass, that much was clear to her within less than a minute.

"It would seem so," Sakura said sweetly, her eyes challenging him to keep talking.

Tobirama was watching the interaction with some nerves but interest, Madara seemed tense and Hashirama was coughing nervously every few seconds. Itachi was silent and staring at the man.

"The Uchiha have been very kind to me," Sakura continued. "As have the Senju. Itachi and I have been lucky to know these clans."

Yori gave her a short nod and Sasuke cleared his throat.

"We understand that you're a medic-nin?" He interjected, changing the conversation.

Sakura turned her attention to him.

"That's correct."

"By all accounts, she's extremely talented," Hashirama said, smiling proudly "We've big plans for her to help develop a program for the future medical shinobi in the village."

That was news to Sakura, she looked at Hashirama and Tobirama, the latter who gave her a look that said they would talk about it later.

"Is that so?" Sasuke asked with interest.

Tobirama nodded.

"Yes. Madara believes that our village can only grow to be strong and healthy with a strong backbone in medicine, and we share his belief."

Sakura's head whipped to Madara in surprise. He gave her a small, knowing smirk and she held back the roll of her eyes. She was still mad at him, she reminded herself.

"Why is that?" Yori asked. "Medic's are worthless on the field of battle where soldiers are needed." He gave Sakura a look of disdain. "They're hardly worth the effort and time to train when our forces need that attention."

Sakura felt her entire body twitch with anger. It was difficult to remember that she was living in the time before Tsunade when the medical field was practically non-existent. Her mentor had literally changed all of that, changed the world in a sense. Sakura fumed, she was the strongest damn shinobi at the table. She felt Itachi's hand snake under the table onto her thigh, but she ignored it and was about to say something rage-filled when Madara smoothly cut into the conversation in a tone both condescending and cold.

"For all our natural skill and prowess, what Uchiha lacked was healers. Imagine what we might have accomplished with good medics."

His words were a clear threat, and they sent shivers down Sakura's spine. Yori clearly understood what Madara was saying from the narrowing of his eyes.

"After witnessing Sakura's skill, I believe that the future of all clans in this village will benefit from having strong medics available, following her example."

"I agree," Hashirama said, and Sakura saw Sasuke Sarutobi look at him with an agreement, but also wariness, no doubt brought on by what Madara had said.

Madara continued without acknowledging Hashirama and gave a small, mocking laugh and looking directly at Yori.

"If you truly believe that a medic is worthless on the frontlines, you are truly ignorant." Yori's face reddened at his words. "I'm sure Sakura would be glad to give you a demonstration after you just insulted her."

His voice grew cold and sharp and Sakura, as grateful as she was to Madara for sticking up for her, she didn't need it. Though she couldn't help but be surprised that he was so supportive of medics in battle. She hadn't expected to hear that at all, or how much faith he seemed to have in her. It caused a lump in her throat.

She turned to look at Yori, her eyes narrowed.

"I understand you may not have experience with medical shinobi, so your ignorance is to be expected. However, Madara is right. I would be glad to give you a demonstration of how useful a medic can be on the frontlines, I just," she waved her hands over the table, "don't think Hashirama would appreciate another one of his tables being destroyed."

Itachi gave a small chuckle.

"In two days, Sakura will face me during the fighting festival," Tobirama said.

"Really?" Sasuke said with even more interest than he showed earlier.

He looked at Tobirama who nodded. Hashirama poured everyone a drink, and Sakura noticed he poured himself double.

"I have been looking forward to this fight for weeks," he said with a small smile to Sakura, who grinned back.

"It'll be a spectacle," Madara murmured in agreement.

"Indeed," Hashirama said. "I think it will be a crowd favourite."

He looked gleeful and Sakura didn't hide her eye roll this time.

"Will you be participating?" Sasuke asked Hashirama.

Hashirama shook his head sadly.

"Unfortunately not. The only person I want to fight against is Madara and he refuses to enter the festival."

Hashirama looked across the table with mournful accusation.

"I prefer to spectate," Madara replied indifferently.

The conversation turned again into talk of the village. Sakura was glad the tension seemed to dissolve as time went on, but she could see that Yori Shimura had reservations, to put it mildly, against Madara, Itachi and even herself. His eyes became colder as he looked at them, but toward the Senju he was normal. Sakura began to feel disgust rising like bile in her throat towards him, realising that his son was going to grow up into a monster.

She looked at Itachi. The conversation continued around them, but she didn't care to join it, she cared about what he was feeling. He was silent, staring ahead without expression. She could tell he was listening to everything that was being said, but there was a strain on his face, a tightening around his eyes. She swallowed tightly, worry filling her chest and her hand reached for him under the table. She didn't understand what was happening between them, what had changed exactly, but she knew that he was in pain, and because of that, so was she. She tightened her hand around his, and after a moment, he looked briefly at her and squeezed back.

The conversation around them turned to family.

"Congratulations," Hashirama said to Sasuke, who beamed back. "What's his name?"

"Hiruzen," Sasuke said proudly.

Sakura gave a surprised squeeze to Itachi's hand and glanced at him. Itachi didn't react and Sakura's heart dropped when she saw his darkening face. She realised what turned his mood after a moment. Danzo was older than the Third. Danzo was already born.

"We can only hope he doesn't grow into the fool his father is," Yori said with a small smile.

Hashirama laughed loudly, and Sakura noticed the quickly emptying sake bottle on the table.

"What about you?" Sasuke asked. "Any special women on the horizon? Plans of a family?"

Sakura returned to the conversation, keeping a firm grip on Itachi's hand.

Hashirama poured himself another drink, and his face was getting a little red. Sakura bit her lip with amusement. She had wondered where Tsunade got her drinking habits from, it seemed they came from her grandfather.

"No, no," Hashirama said with some embarrassment. "We've been a little busy with the village."

Tobirama looked at his brother with amusement.

"Did I remember to tell you that I had a message some days ago and some of the Uzumaki are also arriving tomorrow?"

Hashirama choked on his drink, spraying sake on Madara. Sakura giggled behind her free hand, and even Itachi smiled. Madara blinked, took a deep breath, and wiped his face.

"No, you didn't," Hashirama said after a moment, wiping his own face.

Sasuke grinned at Hashirama and looked at Tobirama.

"So which of the Uzumaki are expected?" He questioned.

"The clan leader and his daughter, Mito."

"Mito Uzumaki?" Sakura asked with a smile.

"Do you know her?" Sasuke asked her.

Sakura shrugged.

"I've heard of her," she said, making sure she didn't look at Hashirama. "I hear she's a great beauty." She looked at Madara. "Do you know her?"

"Only by reputation," he said.

"The Senju and Uzumaki clans are closely connected. It's doubtful the Uchiha had much interaction with them, as the clans were enemies until recently," Yori said, somewhat flippantly.

"True enough," Tobirama said, his voice a little harder than it was before. "Times have changed, however, and it will be good to introduce two clans that the Senju have much pride in knowing."

Sakura had a distinct feeling that no one really liked Yori Shimura very much.

"What about you, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, drawing her attention.

"Me what?" She asked dumbly with a frown.

"Are you married?"

Sakura blushed hard.

"No," she replied. "I'm not."

Her hand felt sweaty in Itachi's and she swallowed, carefully and subtly trying to take it back, but he held on tighter.

"A beautiful girl like you won't have to wait for long," Sasuke said teasingly.

Sakura's ears felt hot.

"Thank you," she murmured quietly, looking at the table.

"Why are you so interested in other people's love lives?" Yori asked with some amusement Sakura hadn't associated with him.

"It's a wonderful thing, having a family and being in love," Sasuke defended. He looked at Madara. "Surely Madara, as the clan leader, you have a wife by now or you're courting someone at least?"

Madara raised an eyebrow.

"I do not," he said, not unkindly. "However, there is a woman I've been considering."

Itachi's hand tightened on Sakura's, and everyone at the table seemed a little stunned at the confession. Madara looked relatively relaxed and even smug.

Tobirama, catching on quickly, gave Sakura a look which she ignored while internally panicking. Sasuke Sarutobi could only manage to look half as delighted as Hashirama since the amount of joy radiating from the man seemed inhuman. Sakura finally looked at Tobirama and her panic must have been clear because he sighed and quickly changed the topic back to the village. Thankfully, the rest of the table took the hint. Sakura was certain that her face was redder than a tomato. She quickly drank some of the sake she hadn't previously touched.

"Excuse me," she said suddenly, standing. "I think I'll get some air."

Everyone looked at her with concern, but she shook off their protests and questions.

"I'll join you," Itachi said.

She was about to refuse, but she saw the look on his face and accepted.

"As will I," Madara said. "Excuse me."

Sakura took a breath and turned away, wanting nothing more than to slam her fist into a wall out of complete and overwhelming embarrassment and confusion. This wasn't supposed to be happening.

* * *

Sakura followed Madara without resistance, and Itachi followed Sakura. The bones in his hand ached slightly from the tightness of her holding it under the table, but the pain for comfortable and a reminder that she was there with him. He hadn't expected the night to turn out the way it had from the moment they arrived at the party.

Madara announced his support for Hashirama to be Hokage. He was informally adopted into his own clan. Sakura caught the eye of every man in the area. He met the namesake of his brother and the father of the man he holds the most hatred towards in the world. He was exhausted from keeping the emotion from his face, though he knew his mask was slipping. Sakura had shot him enough concerned glances to know she saw through him. Even Tobirama had sent him questioning looks.

Itachi didn't like Yori Shimura on sight. He was used to seeing the looks of distrust, disdain, dislike on the faces of people directed at his family. He had seen the way that Danzo looked at them, at himself. His face shared many of his features. But his dislike was solidified when he spoke down to Sakura, belittling her abilities. That was the final straw for Itachi. It took every effort not to slit the man's throat then and there. Only Sakura's hand in his had kept him from moving, and her own nervousness kept him in the moment.

Madara was leading them into a dark and quiet area of his home and the sounds of the party were slowly fading behind them. Eventually, he opened a door and motioned for the two of them to go inside. He closed the door behind them. Another sealed room, Itachi realized the moment he walked inside. Madara lit a single candle.

"What are we doing here?" Sakura questioned him.

"You wanted to talk," Madara said, addressing Itachi.

"Talk? Now?" Sakura looked between the two of them.

Itachi gave a tired sigh, letting his mask drop completely.

"Yes," he said. "You realise that what Madara has done tonight is going to draw too much attention to be ignored?" He asked Sakura, who looked at him with worry and nodded.

"What does that mean?" Madara asked with a frown.

"The history of Konoha that Sakura and I know is already substantially different to what has happened," Itachi said.

Sakura gasped.

"What - Itachi - what are you - "

"I am aware the two of you are not from this time," Madara said to her.

Sakura closed her mouth and nodded.

"Good," she said quietly.

"How is it different?" Madara asked.

Itachi glanced at Sakura.

"We need to tell him everything," he said. "Otherwise, he'll be unprepared when it comes."

She gave a hesitant nod and looked at Madara.

"This isn't going to be easy for you to hear," she said. "You… were different for us, in our time. You're not the same, please remember that. Right now, the Madara that exists is a different man."

Madara frowned.

"Just tell me," he said, his face tight with concern.

"Things are far more complicated than you are aware. There is a force at work here that is far greater and more devious than anything you've ever come across, and it's after you."

"Why?"

"Because you are the reincarnation of Indra Otsutskui, the eldest son of the Sage of Six Paths, and you are the only person capable of awakening the Rinnegan."

Madara's eyes widened.

"That's a myth," he said.

Itachi shook his head.

"It's not. In our time, you did and in doing so, you became the single greatest threat against the world that we have ever known."

"You took a darker path," Sakura said to him. "You let your hate and anger and fear control you."

Madara swallowed.

"What did I do?" He asked.

Itachi shook his head.

"There are other things more important right now. This thing is after your mind. It wants to manipulate you against Hashirama, against the village. To force you into choosing the same path that Indra did, because it needs the Rinnegan for its plans."

"Why is Hashirama so important?" Madara asked.

"Because he is the reincarnation of Indra's brother, Asura," Sakura said. "He feels like more than just your best friend, doesn't he? He feels like he's your brother, in a different way to Izuna. You could never forget your bond with him, even when you were supposed to be enemies, could you?"

Madara looked at her and shook his head.

"Never," he answered quietly.

Itachi looked between the two of them again and felt the same unease creep into his chest. As important as this moment was for Madara, he couldn't help but feel jealous of the way that Sakura seemed to connect with him. There was compassion and worry in her eyes and Itachi swallowed back his words to let her talk, knowing she'd be more likely to get through to him, especially considering Madara's obviously growing feelings towards her.

"Do you remember the story I told you, about Naruto and Sasuke?"

Madara nodded, his eyes flickered to Itachi.

"Indra and Asura have had many reincarnates over the millennia," Sakura said. "They've always been at war with each other. Naruto and Sasuke, they were the reincarnate's after you and Hashirama." She shook her head, and Itachi knew she was remembering everything she'd been through with the two of them. "They did what no one else had managed to do, they  _broke_  the cycle of hatred. Sasuke was able to see through Indra's warped reality and will, and he stood at Naruto's side. Like you're standing by Hashirama now."

"I don't understand," Madara said shaking his head. "If this cycle of hatred is broken in your time, why are you here? Going back in time, wouldn't that mean it's not broken now?"

Sakura shook her head.

"Chakra connects everything, through time and space."

"You are not the same man you were three months ago," Itachi said. "Are you?"

Madara frowned.

"No," he said slowly. "I'm not."

"Indra told us that under the right circumstances, it would be changed in you as well," Sakura said with a hopeful smile. "We've seen it, we've seen who you are now, in this time and it's different. It's better. It's just you."

Madara was looking at her like she was the most amazing thing on earth and Itachi couldn't stand it.

"We needed to remain as quiet as we could here to draw out the evil that is hunting you, that's why I told you we needed to talk," Itachi said, his voice colder than he meant it to be. "Things aren't the same in the history that we know to what we're now living. We don't know what's going to happen."

"Madara, we just want you to have faith in us, in Hashirama and more importantly, in yourself," Sakura said, giving Itachi a frown.

"You're still not saying everything," he said.

"We're not hiding anything that you don't need to know," Sakura said.

"You're better off not knowing," Itachi cut in. "You don't want to live your life thinking 'what if' and walking around with a cloud of dark questions and ideas."

"We just want you to live happy and free," Sakura said with a shrug. "And when we finish our mission, that's going to be the life you have and the future of Konoha will be brighter for you being in it."

To Itachi's surprise, Madara was taking it all well. Or he was just overwhelmed. Whatever the case, he simply nodded and absorbed what they had said.

"I should find Matsuri," Sakura murmured after a moment.

Itachi stayed rooted on the spot.

"I'm not going back to that table," he said.

Sakura took a step towards him, reaching out, but Itachi stepped back, out of reach and she drew her hand back, cradling it against her chest like it hurt. Itachi looked away.

"Why not?" Madara asked.

"Yori Shimura," Sakura said quietly, looking at Itachi. "His son..." she trailed off.

"You knew him?" Madara asked with a frown.

Itachi wanted to scoff at the sentiment that they just 'knew' him.

Sakura looked hesitantly at Itachi, who realised his face was set in an angry glare and his hands were clenched. His chest was thumping.

"Yes," she said tentatively after a moment.

Itachi felt anger he hadn't felt in weeks boil over. He turned back to look at both Sakura and Madara.

"Yes, I knew him," Itachi spat.

Sakura flinched and Madara looked at Itachi with interest.

"His son murdered my mother."


	19. Part Six: The Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys. some notes before you read:
> 
> THE PAST IS BEING ADDRESSED. 'The Before'
> 
> \- i am guesstimating that Shisui is 4-5 years older than Itachi, putting him at about 3 years younger than Kakashi.
> 
> \- i tried to keep a lot of canon events, but also had to add/change things for my story, so please be kind.
> 
> \- there's a lot of things that happen here and i can't go into so much detail for all of it, it's just a lot. can't write it all, so if there's any confusion, please let me know and I'll address it.
> 
> \- Izumi and Itachi were only young by our society standards, around 13/14 - but kids grow up fast in the ninja world and I probably should've written it better in the earlier chapters about that fact. my bad.

 

**Part Six: The Festival**

**Chapter 17**

* * *

**The Before**

* * *

"The coup has been stopped," Shisui said from his bent-knee position.

There was a silence in the council room, and Itachi held his breath.

"You are certain?" The Hokage asked.

Shisui raised his head.

"Yes, sir."

Itachi raised his head as well.

"My father announced it at the clan meeting and spoke strongly about the consequences a civil war would create."

"That's preposterous," Danzo said. Both Itachi and Shisui looked at him. "A change of heart when so late in the planning isn't feasible."

"We are not lying, Lord Danzo" Shisui said calmly. "I used my Kotoamatsukami. It is over."

Danzo's visible eye narrowed dangerously and he looked from them to the Hokage and back. The Hokage was gazing thoughtfully at Shisui. Itachi felt deep unease at the situation, but he was relieved that he would not have to go through the alternative.

"You acted independently from the council," Danzo said accusingly. "How can we be certain of your true intentions with your actions?"

"Lord Danzo, I acted in the best interest of the village and of my clan," Shisui replied.

"He was following orders," Lord Third said before Danzo could speak again. "Shisui and I have met to discuss this course of action before. I told him that if he judged it to be the last option available, he could use his ability at his own discretion."

"This was not a decision for you to make on your own, Hiruzen," Danzo said harshly. "This solution guarantees nothing."

"It guarantees an end to the coup and a chance for reconciliation," Itachi said.

"A chance that could end in war and death for thousands," Koharu argued.

"What would you have us do instead?" Shisui asked quietly. "This is the only option that doesn't result in bloodshed."

The council fell quiet. Itachi could see how uncomfortable Koharu and Homura were. Everyone in the room knew that Shisui was right. The other options were deaths on either side, and no one wanted that. Except, Itachi observed, Danzo. He seemed inordinately upset at Shisui's actions and wanted to say more, but couldn't find something that didn't sound like he wanted a different outcome.

Lord Hokage stood.

"You've both done well," he said. "This has been a difficult time for everyone, but for the two of you in particular. You have our gratitude and I hope we can continue to work together to reconcile you clan with us."

Shisui and Itachi both lowered their heads.

"Thank you, Lord Third," Shisui replied.

"Yes, Lord Third," Itachi murmured.

Shisui and Itachi both left the room feeling a new weight settle on their shoulders. They walked away silently.

"I thought there would be more relief," Itachi murmured to Shisui under his breath.

Shisui gave a short nod in response.

"We need to remain vigilant," he spoke quietly. "My gut tells me this isn't over."

Itachi couldn't agree more.

* * *

Over the next few months, Fugaku spent a lot of time with the Hokage and the council, negotiating ways to bring the Uchiha and the village closer. Itachi was often invited to those meetings, and he spent most of his time observing Danzo. The councilor seemed opposed to everything that Fugaku put forth, and it began to wear on his father. Although Itachi felt some guilt that they had been forced to put him under the control of Shisui's jutsu, he couldn't help but be relieved at the same time. But the tension between his father and the council was difficult to ignore, and Itachi began to suspect Danzo of far more nefarious motives than he had before.

Fugaku and the Hokage began to develop and implement schemes to improve the standing of the police in the village. It took a full year before there was an improvement, and it came from both sides.

Unknown to anyone but Itachi, Shisui was attacked three times by unknown agents who were attempting to steal his eyes. Both of them came to the conclusion that it was Danzo and brought it to the attention of the Hokage, who, to Itachi's anger, did little more than let his old friend know that he was aware of Shisui being attacked.

The attacks stopped, but it was at a heavier cost than anyone had expected. There was no evidence that pointed to Danzo, but Itachi knew that he was behind it and it took his entire family to hold him back from going after the man. The official report was that Izumi Uchiha had been at an unsupervised training session at a training ground far too advanced for her level. Concerned when she hadn't met him at their appointed time, Itachi had looked for her and discovered that she had fatally injured herself. Distraught, Itachi had tried and failed to revive her, and he had awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan during this tragic event.

The truth was very different.

Before every mission either of them left on, the teenagers met at the dock by the lake at dawn. It was time they spent privately together and two nights earlier, she had smiled at him and reminded him to meet her there. That was the last time he'd seen her alive.

He'd arrived at the dock and seen a body strewn across it. A female body. Brown hair. Familiar clothes. The scent of blood. His heart had stopped and his stomach fallen out. He felt hollow and it took minutes before he could walk towards her.

She hadn't been placed with care.

She had been dumped. She lay on her side, her arms and legs limply hung off her body, one arm behind her, her wrist caught at an awkward angle on the wood and twisted back. Her clothes her tattered and torn, dirt and blood smeared on them. Her hair, usually so neat and shiny, was wet, dirty and knotted in ways he knew that she would have hated.

It wasn't until Itachi braved turning her over and her head flopped backward that he saw something that horrified him.

Her eyes were gone. They had been removed like the person who'd done it intended to make it as painful and gruesome as possible. Blood tracked from her eyes all over her face, her lips were parted in a scream. She died screaming, Itachi realised. He turned and emptied his stomach into the lake.

Everything that happened after that moment was a lucky coincidence.

Shisui had found them, taken Izumi's body directly to Fugaku to hide for the moment, and then dragged Itachi to the Hokage's office. The only thing Itachi could remember saying that it was Danzo.

But there was no proof, and investigations turned up nothing.

A whisper on the wind that Orochimaru had been experimenting with Uchiha eyes floated into the village, and the Hokage latched onto that.

Itachi had never felt more at odds with his village and had never looked at the Hokage with more disdain for his inaction and denial.

* * *

Over the next four years, it became clear to the Uchiha that there was someone working against the family. Fugaku had been working hard for little result, and the Third seemed to have become lazy as time went on in his approach to them in the village. Itachi had thrown himself into his work, distancing himself from everyone, risking his life and sanity to find some proof that Danzo had been behind Izumi's death. It took its toll on him. He spent almost as much time in the hospital as he did at his house, worrying everyone around him. Even Kakashi had taken to talking to him about his well-being.

"Don't be a hypocrite," Itachi said coldly.

Kakashi gave him a hard look.

"You should take the advice of someone who understands what you're going through."

Itachi stared at him until he sighed.

"You're going to draw the attention of the one person you don't want too," he said, a warning in his eye.

Itachi's own gaze narrowed.

"You're too observant for your own good," he said.

"So are you," Kakashi retorted. "You're being kept out of the village for a reason. Shisui's not the only one who's had visitors."

Itachi raised his eyebrow at that.

"I'll handle this on my own."

"Then you'll die," Kakashi said and left.

* * *

Danzo knew that Itachi was suspicious of him. It was why he had Izumi killed in such a manner, left for Itachi to find. It was why Itachi sensed that he was often followed. Itachi had taken to silently watching over the village at night. He'd managed to intercept several unknown ANBU's attempts to create civil unrest. Each time he did, he gave the evidence to his father, and the police made a spectacle of the uncovering of intelligence, which improved their reputation with the public and Itachi was certain, enraged Danzo.

One night, after Sasuke's eleventh birthday, Itachi woke up with a cold shiver running down his spine. Something was wrong.

He woke, dressed, armed himself, and stealthily made his way to Shisui's. To his surprise, Shisui was waiting for him.

"Something's happening," Itachi murmured to him.

Shisui nodded.

"I have a bad feeling," he replied.

Itachi turned slightly to the village. All his instincts one edge, screaming at him to hurry.

"Kakashi," he said to Shisui.

Within seconds they were in the center of the village and heard the unmistakable sounds of metal on metal.

They located Kakashi leading his pursuers out to the open training fields. They managed to disable two of the five before the others scattered into hiding.

"Took you long enough," Kakashi panted when they appeared beside him, deflecting several kunai from reaching him.

"They're after your eye," Shisui stated, taking a defensive stance.

"Obito's eye," Kakashi said automatically. "Not the first time," he muttered. "It's Root."

"We know," Itachi replied.

Kakashi, who'd clearly been sleeping before attacked, was armed with a single kunai. His skin-tight dark singlet was sliced at his abdomen, a cut bled and was soaking into the material. His mask was firmly in place but his hair was a mess and his pants were loose and feet bare.

"They might back off now you're here," Kakashi said.

Shisui scoffed.

"Unlikely. They want all of us," he said dryly. "They'll probably send more."

"Right," Kakashi said tiredly. "This is gonna be a long night."

It was.

Four other Root agents came for back-up. It was a 7-on-3 fight. They were outnumbered, but Root was outmatched. They left six dead agents for Danzo to find and sent one fatally wounded back with a message.

It was the last night Danzo attempted to assassinate them and steal their eyes again, but Fugaku reported that Danzo had started to create even more difficulties in the leadership and influence of the village.

Itachi was resolved to kill Danzo the moment he had a chance.

* * *

Through it all, Itachi neglected to keep an eye on his brother.

Sasuke was old enough to understand that his clan was being treated differently, and he was showing resentment for it. Shisui tried to step in to help, but Sasuke began to brush both Itachi and Shisui off, focusing more and more on getting stronger, more powerful, trying to prove his worth in the eyes of their father and by extension, proving the worth of the Uchiha.

He was a genin before Itachi knew the time had passed.

Surprisingly, Kakashi had been assigned to be his team leader. But when Itachi thought about it, it was the right call. Naruto was the son of his mentor. He had the ability to help Sasuke through any issues with his Sharingan when it awakened and when the clan couldn't be there. He was considered one of the top jonin, along with Shisui and Itachi himself. Itachi tried harder to spend more time with Sasuke, to train with him. They began to grow closer again, and Itachi started to feel good about life once more.

Sasuke's team seemed like the only source of true freedom for him, on the rare occasions that Itachi observed them together. Kakashi told him about the rivalry between Sasuke and Naruto, how they challenged each other, how different Sasuke was to Itachi. Itachi was proud of his brother's progress, but Sasuke seemed unsatisfied and enraged at how quickly Naruto progressed and it worried Itachi on many levels.

As his beloved brother, Itachi wanted to help Sasuke understand he didn't need to be so concerned about the progress of other shinobi. As a shinobi of the Leaf, Itachi was worried about how Sasuke's attitude would affect how his work was done. He knew Sasuke wanted to be a police officer like their father, but the way he treated others was becoming demeaning. His clan was barely holding onto a positive public opinion.

Public opinion took a slight upswing during Orochimaru's attack, but it was overshadowed by the death of the Third. For the second time, Fugaku was overlooked for the position of Hokage, and it stirred resentment again in the Uchiha clan. Until the minute Tsunade was sworn in as Hokage, Itachi was tense. If Danzo had stepped into the position, he had made up his mind to assassinate him, to rid the village and his clan of this disease.

But something happened soon after Itachi didn't foresee.

He had never felt like more of a failure when Sasuke left the Leaf to seek out Orochimaru. He had been out of the village at that time on an ANBU mission outside the Land of Fire and didn't return until weeks had passed. He was kept purposefully in the dark and learned that Lady Tsunade had kept Shusui in chakra restraints to keep him from going out to tell Itachi himself and get back Sasuke. It was the greatest test of his emotions that he'd ever felt, the most wavering in his loyalty to his village and his own beliefs.

Kakashi, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki showed up at the house unexpectedly after the failed mission to rescue Sasuke.

Mikoto had invited them inside, Fugaku had greeted them coldly, and Itachi had remained quiet, curious to see what they were going to say.

Kakashi was clearly uncomfortable. He'd studiously avoided the Uchiha district since Obito's death. He knew that some of the clan disliked that he had their dojutsu when he didn't share their blood. He didn't bother with small talk, he knew it wouldn't be well received in the present company under the circumstances. He was, Itachi observed again, not entirely the same man that he had been a year earlier.

Sakura kept biting her lip and fidgeting with her hands. Naruto smiled brightly, but it was fake.

They apologised, much to the surprise of Fugaku and Mikoto.

"But we're going to get him back," Naruto said, sticking out his thumb. "Believe it!"

"I'm going to get stronger," Sakura said with the same determination. "I couldn't stop him, but I'm going to be stronger so that I will next time."

Mikoto took a deep breath and looked at Fugaku.

"Sasuke is a rogue shinobi," she said flatly, but Itachi could see the sadness in her eyes.

She was testing them, she didn't mean what she was saying, Itachi knew that, but it still hurt to hear it.

"He doesn't deserve your loyalty."

"He's abandoned the village, his family and you," Fugaku said. "Do not concern yourselves with him anymore."

Kakashi knew his students well. He put a hand on Naruto's shoulder to keep him from jumping up and put his hand comfortingly on Sakura's.

"He's your son," Naruto said angrily. "How can you say that?"

"We don't care what he's done," Sakura said, she was shaking and starting to cry. "We're a team."

"He's our friend, if you don't want him back we don't care. We're going to get him back ourselves!" Naruto declared.

"Those who break the rules are scum," Kakashi said, his crinkle-eyed smile in place. "But those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."

Fugaku and Mikoto shared an amused look, clearly satisfied with their response.

All Itachi could think was that Sasuke had no idea how lucky he was.

* * *

Naruto left the village with Jiraiya to train and Sakura became the apprentice Lady Tsunade. The village was in some disarray from the recent attacks, and Tsunade had pulled in Kakashi and several of the Uchiha police force to do extra missions. She would occasionally comment on how ridiculous it was that all she heard about was complaints that her forces were overworked when the police force had plenty of damn shinobi in it that no one ever seemed to consider.

Fugaku was not upset that Tsunade was Hokage. They both had a great deal of respect for one another from their actions in the Third Shinobi War. However, it didn't stop the unrest within the clan. Sasuke's defection brought all the mistrust within the village toward the clan back with a vengeance, and talks of another coup reignited. Itachi and Shuisi were once again forced into difficult positions between the village and clan, but the experience with Tsunade was different from the Third. She kept things closer to her chest, and the council wasn't going to be involved until it was necessary.

Itachi started to realise that his house had an unusually frequent visitor. He didn't know how or why, but somehow, Sakura quickly became like a daughter to Mikoto. She spent at least three days of the week at the dinner table with his family, desperately trying to get Fugaku to like her, and even going as far as to ask around about Itachi and track down Shisui to help her be friends with them.

Mikoto doted on her when she was too exhausted to even move from all her training with Tsunade. She became known quickly around the Uchiha compound as a polite and friendly girl, who smiled and spoke kindly and openly to the Uchiha shinobi and civilians alike. The good care that Mikoto gave her meant that Sakura's parents spread the word with the other civilians, townspeople and old shinobi friends about the Uchiha and it became apparent to Shisui, Itachi and Fugaku that Sakura had potential to be a positive force on village relations.

Unlike the Third Hokage, Tsunade used her power more forcefully against Danzo, making it difficult for him to instigate any real unrest, since she wasn't going to sit back and take it passively as the Third had. Even he knew that to make a move against Sakura would unleash the full wrath of Tsunade, and Danzo wouldn't be so reckless to do that. In fact, it was the potential that the Uchiha could fail in their coup against the village and face the wrath of Tsunade that kept the coup from progressing very far at all. Fugaku admittedly held a lot of respect for Tsunade, as did Mikoto and they convinced the clan to wait and see how things progressed under a new reign.

There was a day that Itachi new something else had changed as well. Itachi had a suspicion that Tsunade was behind it.

Kakashi had found him in the morning and told him to make sure he takes care of Sakura. He offered no explanation, but his visible eye was tight with worry.

In the afternoon, he saw Sakura with a gaggle of her classmates make their way to the Uchiha compound for a late meal. The sight was unusual since Sakura's friends were almost all the heirs to the major clans of the Leaf.

By the next week, Sakura had suddenly become the biggest Uchiha advocate in the village. A campaign, Kakashi confided in Itachi slyly one day, that the young Nara had suggested and the older Nara approved. Which meant that the Hokage was backing it too.

That knowledge meant a lot to Fugaku when Itachi relayed it. Sakura and her friends slowly but surely were able to close the gap between the village and the Uchiha in ways that Itachi and Shusui would never have managed to do on their own.

The Yamanaka girl sold flowers to a lot of civilians and seemed to be constantly talking about what great work the Uchiha police had been doing, and how wonderful it was to go to the Uchiha compound and eat there. Whenever Sakura was in the street, alone or with others, she always interacted openly and friendly with any she Uchiha saw.

Kakashi tiredly confessed she'd even recruited the Jonin teachers to join in and Itachi was amazed at how much of an effect something so simple had on the general populace. It wasn't easy, and there were times when he knew that Sakura faced opposition, but the people of the Leaf seemed to be looking at his clan differently.

Months passed in this manner, and there was a noticeable change in the interactions between the police and civilians. There were fewer confrontations, less force was used while making arrests. More shopkeepers greeted them more welcomingly. When possible, Tsunade had clan members take more jobs around the village, asked for more involvement with the police in different areas of the village, gave higher profile work outside the village to Uchiha, and continued to ignore the council and Danzo's growing concerns that she was giving the clan too much freedom.

Shisui and Itachi knew that Sakura knew exactly what was going on. But none of them said anything or did anything more than giving a knowing look every now and again. It was too dangerous. Itachi knew that something dark was still roaming in the shadows, but his attempts to find anything on Danzo went nowhere and Tsunade had ordered him to let her take care of the stupid politics. So he backed away and did his best to aide Sakura and Shisui and his father and his village.

* * *

Sakura was at his house again. He'd been resting after returning home from a mission, only to find her in the kitchen preparing dinner as if she lived there. It made him smile. She had amazing confidence in herself for a girl of only fourteen, but he supposed it was a result of her training.

"Yo, Itachi," Shisui said from behind him.

A knife clattered on the counter. Sakura cursed.

"You scared me," she complained.

"Shisui," Itachi greeted his cousin. "What are the two of you doing here?" He rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Ah, we're cooking you dinner," Shisui said brightly.

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

 _"I'm_  cooking you two dinner," she corrected him.

"What she said," Shisui grinned.

"Where are mother and father?" Itachi asked.

Sakura returned to preparing the food.

"They were invited to dine with the Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi heads," Shisui explained. "So Mikoto asked me if I'd make sure you ate after your mission, and I thought Saki should come too."

Sakura laughed.

"No, you just didn't want to cook," she said

"That sounds more likely," Itachi agreed. Sakura shot him a smile.

"You wound me, seriously," Shisui said, rolling his eyes. "It's more fun this way. It's like a party."

"I don't want a party," Itachi yawned. "I want to sleep."

"Tough mission?" Shisui asked.

Itachi shrugged, glancing at Sakura's back.

"Reconnaissance," he said. "On the Akatsuki."

He saw Sakura's hand pause for a moment before she continued chopping. Shisui raised his eyebrow, questioning what he was doing, revealing the details of a mission like that. Itachi shrugged.

"We met with Jiraiya. He wanted me to tell you that Naruto's growing up in all ways except his personality," Itachi said to Sakura.

Sakura snorted a laugh.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from that moron," she said fondly.

Shisui grinned.

"So what's Tsunade got you learning now?" He asked. "You seem pretty beat up lately."

Sakura turned around and smiled. Her hand glowed green and she quickly healed the bruises that were covering her arms.

"Evasion," she said.

"You don't look good at it," Shisui teased.

She threw a carrot with deadly accuracy at his forehead. He caught it before it made contact.

"That's not nice," Shisui said, taking a bite out of the carrot.

Sakura shook her head at him.

"It's a medic's prerogative to always be ready to aide our team. We can't afford to get injured. We die, you die. Tsunade likes to drill that lesson in with force." Sakura shivered. "She punches hard."

Itachi had seen her in action. He was glad he wasn't on the receiving end of that punch.

"I just had an amazing idea," Shisui announced.

Itachi and Sakura shared a doubtful look.

"I didn't think your brain was capable of that," Sakura said with a grin.

"Very funny, Saki," Shisui said. "Do you want to know my amazing, fantastic idea or not?"

"Just get to the point," Itachi said, yawning again.

"We'll help train you!"

"Excuse me?"

"We?"

Shisui let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Think about it, Saki, you'll be the talk of the town."

Sakura looked at him like he was stupid.

"I don't want to be the talk of the town," she pointed out.

Shisui ignored her.

"First, you're the student of the legendary Copy-cat Ninja, Kakashi Hatake," he said dramatically. Itachi rolled his eyes. "Next, you become the apprentice of Lady Hokage herself, the only one she deems capable of passing on her secrets too."

"You're forgetting Shizune," Sakura said.

"And finally, you're supplementing your training with Shisui of the Body Flicker and Itachi of the Sharingan,  _legends_  of the Uchiha clan," he finished with a flourish. "It's a good resume, don't you think?"

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"It's a good resume to get me killed if I make it into a bingo book," she said.

Itachi smiled.

"You need to learn to fight against different styles. Evasion against an opponent like Tsunade is one thing, but against an Uchiha, it will be completely different."

Shisui grinned at him, glad he was onboard, and Sakura looked thoughtful. She let out a sigh.

"I barely have enough time to eat and sleep on top of all the work and training I do for Tsunade and the hospital."

Shisui waved his hand.

"Don't worry, I'll sweet talk the Hokage for you."

"Sweet talk Lady Tsunade?" Sakura laughed. "I'd pay to see that."

* * *

Sakura easily made chunin before Naruto returned to the village. She'd had a year of training sessions from Shisui and Itachi whenever they were in the village and could manage it. Shisui spent more time with her taijutsu and Itachi with genjutsu, but training with Sakura was enjoyable and Itachi found that he very much liked to see the progress she made. It made him consider what teaching could be like more seriously than he had before.

His father organised a party to celebrate her promotion, much to Sakura's surprise and delight. She hadn't realised that Fugaku thought enough of her, but Itachi knew that his father had taken a strong liking to Sakura, just as Mikoto had. She was like the daughter they never had.

It was a small intimate party, with only Mikoto, Fugaku, Shisui, Sakura's parents and Kakashi invited. Kakashi turned up when dessert was being served and received a lecture from Mikoto for his poor punctuality habits. It was only of the liveliest nights that Itachi had ever seen in his house. It was the first night in a long time that Itachi actually felt like the future was looking brighter.

* * *

Naruto was taller and stronger and only slightly more mature. He still consumed ramen like it was going to disappear forever the next day and Itachi was glad to discover that his devotion to Sasuke hadn't wavered, it had only grown stronger.

Things started to change again when Naruto returned. The council wanted to keep him in the village, but away from the Uchiha. What they implied was offensive to Fugaku and Itachi. Fugaku - although unknown to everyone except Itachi - Itachi and Shisui were, most likely, the only ones with enough power to control the Nine-Tails. Tensions rose until Tsunade abruptly broke the table they were sitting at and halted the meeting, telling them all that they were fools for arguing about something as stupid as this.

There was barely enough time for Naruto and Sakura to reunite before word came that the young Kazekage had been taken by the Akatsuki. When Itachi heard Sakura was going on the mission to retrieve him, he and Shisui saw her off at the gates. It was the first time he'd ever been worried about someone other than his brother or family.

"She'll be fine," Shisui told him. "She's had good teachers."

Itachi had to tell his father the same thing when he got home.

"She's come a long way," Mikoto agreed with a smile. "There's no doubt she'll overtake Tsunade soon. She might've done so already."

Fugaku had only grunted in response and gone back to his work, and Itachi had stayed to talk to his mother about her day, something he hadn't done for a while and Mikoto's happy smile was enough to relax him for the rest of the evening.

Word came quickly of the success of the mission. A miraculous mission, apparently. The Kazekage had died, only to have been revived, and Sakura had killed Sasori of the Red Sand, a member of the Akatsuki.

Their return home wasn't filled with the victorious atmosphere Itachi had expected, and he soon understood why.

They had discovered a possible lead to his brother. They were going to find him, confront him and bring him home. Kakashi was in the hospital, and Itachi understood the moment he saw the new members of their team that the pale one was Root. He felt his blood boil; Danzo was sending this person to kill his brother.

Itachi arrived at the Hokage's office moments after he'd seen the boy. He barged into the meeting she was having with a team, reporting their mission.

"What the hell are you doing, Uchiha?" Tsunade snapped. "Get out."

Itachi glared at her, unmoving, and after a second, she stood and smacked her hands on the table angrily.

"I said get out, brat!" She snapped.

Itachi stood his ground for a moment longer before he turned on his heel, ignoring the freaked out faces of the young genin who were looking at him.

"Go find Shisui before you come back," Tsunade called out to him. "You better learn some damn manners before then too."

He returned with Shisui less than an hour later.

Tsunade invited them in, looking them both over with thought and irritation.

"Your family gives me a bloody headache," she grumbled. "I wish my grandfather was here to deal with this."

Neither Shisui or Itachi replied.

"I have a mission for you," Tsunade said after another moment.

"I'm going after Sasuke," Itachi replied, glowering.

Tsunade gave him a sharp look.

"Planning to disobey your Hokage, brat?"

Itachi set his jaw.

"He's my brother."

"You're as bad as them." She shook her head. He assumed she meant his teammates. "You have a different mission, brat."

Itachi was about to interrupt her again when Shisui spoke.

"Yes, Lady Hokage. What's the mission?"

Itachi shot him a look.

"I want the two of you to trail and observe Team 7," Tsunade said.

The look on Itachi's face must have amused her, she smirked for a second before her eyes became serious.

"This mission is covert and requires the utmost discretion and secrecy," she said. "I am aware of the concerns you share. Your mission is to observe and report back to me directly. No interaction, no interruption,  _no matter what_ ," she said firmly. Itachi went to argue when she silenced him with a glare. "I will not tolerate failure. You understand the consequences if word gets out of this mission?"

Itachi gave a tight nod.

"Yes, Lady Hokage," Shisui said.

It was one of the most difficult missions Itachi had ever been on. He and Shisui remained hidden during their battle with Orochimaru when Sakura was injured when Naruto lost control of the Nine-tails. They kept hidden when they confronted Sasuke, and Itachi felt his heart crush at the sight of his brother, at how changed he was. He didn't realise he was shaking until Shisui put a hand on his shoulder.

He knew when Sasuke left with Orochimaru that Sasuke had sensed him. He turned and looked blankly in the direction that Shisui and he were hidden before turning away again.

It wasn't until a few days later that Itachi realised the only one who could bring back Sasuke was Naruto. He'd reacted the strongest to Naruto, above everyone else. There was something about their bond that went beyond the others, beyond the family.

But Itachi wasn't going to give up. He was going to find a way, his own way, because he knew Sasuke and no matter what he did, Sasuke was always going to be his little brother.

* * *

Word of Sasuke's attack on his old team spread quickly. Suspicion arose against the Uchiha again quickly. Danzo's work was being done for him, much to Itachi's disgust.

When word came that Sasuke had killed Orochimaru, Itachi was relieved. He begged the Hokage again to let him go and find his brother, but Tsunade wouldn't allow it. He understood her reasons: the village was only just stable, and to keep it that way she couldn't risk any rumours or lies to be spread about sympathizers of Sasuke's in the Uchiha clan. Sending Itachi after his brother might add fuel to the flame, and she needed him to remain in the village. He was only satisfied when she said she had already sent his old team out to find him. He trusted Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura. He wouldn't trust Sai, not while Danzo lived.

He was disappointed when they returned without his brother. But things became complicated quickly. Kakashi believed there was another member of the Akatsuki named Tobi who was an Uchiha. Sasuke was rumoured to have joined them.

His family name took a big hit.

Then came devastation that no one ever imagined. No one could predict.

Pein destroyed the village. Thousands died and were then revived. Naruto became the village hero.

But the real pain started later for the Uchiha clan.

The civilians finally seemed to accept the Uchiha were loyal to Konoha when they provided protection during the attack. Tsunade's coma was a source of stress for everyone, and Fugaku became more agitated as time went on, but politics aside, everything seemed to be looking up for the Uchiha.

Itachi didn't discover until days after the attack that his mother had used the attack as an opportunity to sneak out of the village and go out to find her son. Mikoto hadn't been an active shinobi in years, but Itachi knew that she'd spent the last few years since Sasuke's disappearance training again.

She'd been planning to use the first opportunity she could find to do this. When Itachi confronted his father about it, all Fugaku said was that you should never get between a mother and her children.

Danzo used Tsunade's coma and his pull to be named the next Hokage and named Sasuke a traitor with orders for him to be killed. Mikoto was labeled as missing, and as much as Danzo wanted to take Fugaku down from his position as security leader, he had no cause. Fugaku put on a good show of grieving for his missing wife.

Word that Sasuke attacked the Five-Kage Summit devastated Itachi. But what came next almost killed him.

Kakashi sent word, before his team returned to the Leaf, that they had found Danzo. That they had found Sasuke. They had found Mikoto.

According to what Sasuke told them, Mikoto had found him after the summit and attempted to persuade him to return home. He had refused, stating that he knew that the Leaf would never trust the Uchiha. Then he found Danzo. Mikoto refused to leave her son's side.

Danzo ordered his agents to kill her.

Sasuke fought side-by-side with his mother, but Danzo killed her in front of him.

So Sasuke killed Danzo.

It was after that fight that Sakura had confronted Sasuke, intending to kill him. That Kakashi had stopped Sasuke from killing her. Kakashi and Sasuke clashed, and he tried to reason with Sasuke, but nothing he said worked. Naruto had arrived just in time to stop Sasuke from attempting to kill Sakura again.

Tobi of the Akatsuki arrived and took Sasuke and Mikoto's body with him.

Itachi was glad when the news that Sasuke killed Danzo came. He was proud that his clan stayed strong in the face of such blatant provocation and grief. He was surprised when the other clans showed their support more openly than they ever had before.

Fugaku, grief-stricken, told Itachi why Sasuke had taken Mikoto. It was for her eyes. Itachi hadn't known his mother had awakened her Mangeyko Sharingan, and his father refused to tell him anything about it. Some things, Fugaku told him, were better left unsaid.

When Sakura came back to Konoha, she avoided them for days, until Shisui found her and brought her to the house. Sakura took one look at Fugaku and Itachi and she fell to her knees and wept. She apologised for being too late to save Mikoto. For trying to kill Sasuke, and for failing, for not being able to go through with it, for not being able to stop him. She apologised for her own weakness, she told them not to forgive her, that she didn't deserve it. They watched her silently.

Itachi felt that she had nothing to apologise for. Sakura loved his brother, she had made a choice that any other shinobi would have made. She wanted to save Sasuke, even from himself. Mikoto's death wasn't on her hands. Itachi had heard a lot from Kakashi the previous day, who told him about what she had said to Naruto, about how the rest of their classmates had decided that they should be the ones to kill Sasuke.

It was in this moment that of tears and grief that Itachi realised how important Sakura had become to him and his father. She wasn't an outsider to them, she hadn't been for years. Fugaku helped her to her feet. She had stood limply, waiting to be struck, waiting to take it. He surprised everyone when hugged her. Forgiveness wasn't necessary, that hug told her. There was nothing to forgive. She clung to that hug.

During his time as acting-Hokage, Kakashi Hatake, along with Shikaku Nara, Sai, and Shizune, exposed the actions of Root and Danzo to the Elders - who everyone knew was aware - and village clan leaders. The examination of Danzo's body showed experimentation with the First Hokage's DNA, and implants all along his arms with stolen Uchiha eyes. Izumi's eyes, and others.

The Uchiha were finally freed of the dark cloud of suspicion. Their compound rebuilt in a place of higher priority in the village, not in the outskirts. With their internal suffering laid bare, the clans realised the full extent to which the Uchiha had been crucified in the history of the village. Itachi had never seen his father more grateful for their pity and understanding. He doubted he ever would again.

A Fourth Shinobi War was declared.

The question remained: what would be done about his brother?

* * *

Much to Kakashi's relief, Tsunade woke up.

Fugaku received a message from Sora-Ku. Coordinates and the label 'Mikoto.'

It took time, yelling, sake and persuasion for Tsunade to allow Fugaku and Itachi to go to the coordinates. She couldn't spare anyone. There was a war to prepare for. Itachi was one of the best. Fugaku was needed on her war council.

Sakura was the one who eventually snapped and, by the look on Tsunade's face, it was the first time she'd ever seen Sakura do so. She fought for Fugaku and Itachi, and Tsunade relented.

Sasuke had buried Mikoto in an unmarked grave, closer to the Leaf than anyone expected him to come. A place of peace deep within the forest outside the Leaf, a quiet and peaceful clearing where forest flowers grew. It was not the place for the confrontation that followed their arrival.

Sasuke had anticipated their coming. He declared his intention to destroy the village. Itachi had never felt more hollow. His father declared Sasuke a fool, who understood nothing, a petulant child that would destroy himself.

Sasuke had looked at Itachi.

"You would've followed your orders," he said accusingly.

Itachi stiffened, understanding immediately what he was talking about.

"You would have slaughtered the entire clan for the village."

If his father was surprised, he didn't show it.

Itachi took a breath.

"Yes," he said. "To prevent a civil war and to save the village. Our clan needs to look beyond its own and realise it's part of something larger than itself, in all ways. It is the only way to move forward."

Sasuke looked at him with some level of disgust, but there was hurt and betrayal and anger in his eyes.

"You're weak," Sasuke said. "Even when Danzo killed Izumi, who you were supposed to love, you did nothing."

Itachi felt his anger flare but he didn't respond.

"I killed Danzo," Sasuke hissed. "He cut down mother, and I did something about it."

Itachi realised that Sasuke's best chance at being saved would not come from his family. It hurt him. It hurt him deeply to know that he could only do so much for Sasuke.

Fugaku left without another word, leaving Itachi and Sasuke alone in the clearing.

"You do not see clearly," Itachi said, although the words were hard to get out.

"I see more clearly than I ever have before," Sasuke retorted.

"You and I are flesh and blood," Itachi said to him. "I'm always going to be there for you, Sasuke. I wasn't a good brother to you, and because I lied and hid things, there is much that you don't know."

"I know enough," Sasuke said. "And now I have the power to make real change in the corrupted Leaf Village."

Itachi shook his head.

"This is what happens to people who have skill. Power makes you isolated and arrogant. You told Sakura and Naruto you severed all your bonds to the Leaf, yet you still called her 'mother.'"

Sasuke flinched. Itachi took a step forward, Sasuke watched him warily. He continued step after step.

"No matter what you do, no matter what you say," Itachi said as he walked. "You're always going to be my foolish little brother."

He raised his hand and Sasuke's eyes widened.

"And I will love you always."

His fingers connected with Sasuke's head in a hard tap and then Itachi disappeared.

* * *

Fugaku called Sakura to dinner.

The preparations for the war were almost complete. The Konoha forces would be moving out. They'd barely been able to see Sakura, she'd been busy with missions and preparation for the medic-nin. She wasn't prepared for what happened that night.

It had been a long time coming.

Shisui, Itachi and Fugaku called her into the room that Mikoto's shine was in. Without a word, the three men bowed before her on their knees.

Fugaku told her that without her, their clan might have suffered a far different fate. Shisui explained how close the clan had come to a coup, that he and Itachi almost failed to stop it. That it was only through her actions that there was time for the clan and the village to begin to reconcile, that the other clan leaders had been influenced to redefine their relationships with the Uchiha.

Sakura denied it all.

Fugaku thanked her on behalf of Mikoto and referred to her as 'daughter'.

Itachi had never seen someone look horrified, grateful, touched, amazed, happy and sad all at the same time, but that night, Sakura showed all of those emotions and more.

"You're my family too," she had whispered, crying.

* * *

**The Present**

* * *

When Sasuke arrived on the field of battle following the arrival of the four previous Hokage, Itachi had never felt more alive, until he realised his brother had only diverted his path from vengeance to something else. He hadn't returned to them yet. But Itachi watched him fight with Sakura and Naruto and Kakashi. He watched them work together as if Team 7 had always been together like his place was always and would always be beside them. He'd felt hope.

All of that hope vanished when he was pulled away, moments after the war was won. He saw the anguish on Sasuke's face. He heard his brother cry out for him. At last they were together, they would have been able to go home again. To mourn and love and be free. But Itachi was lost in a world of heroes. A time before his time.

A time that a child named Danzo would grow up and become the greatest threat to his clan, greater than Obito had been, than Madara, than Sasuke.

A child who could become a man who could again murder his mother for the crime of loving her son. Itachi had kept so much of his feelings inside and locked away because of the war, because of the mission he'd been given by Indra because he needed to keep it out of his head so it didn't consume him.

_"His son killed my mother."_

The words released a maelstrom of emotion in him and he felt his chakra surge and spike and his Mangekyo Sharingan activated in the dark room. The look on Madara's face was shock and then outrage.

He barely heard Sakura order Madara to get out of the room. He protested, but Sakura didn't back down and Madara left. Itachi had stood still, frozen in place, trembling in anger.

Sakura appeared before him, pulling his chin down and looking directly into his eyes.

"Don't," Itachi choked, flinching away from her touch.

"Look at me," she said. He averted his eyes. "Look at me."

It was an order.

He looked at her. Her hard eyes softened minutely.

"I know you, Itachi Uchiha," she said quietly.

He felt her hands slid down his arms and wrap around his clenched fists.

"You locked it all away, all of your hurt and anger and grief. Didn't you?"

He stared at her.

"Answer me," she said again, her voice and eyes turning harder.

He gave a short, reluctant nod, not entirely certain why he was responding to her at all.

"You're allowed to feel it," she whispered, her eyes wet.

Her fingers slipped into his palms and forced his hands open. His Sharingan saw she'd enhanced her fingers with chakra to do so.

"You're allowed to feel it," she whispered again. "Just look at me, okay?"

He did. He looked at her. She didn't look away and slowly, he felt his Sharingan receded. The world changed from red and black to the dim orange glow of the candle, the white light of the moon and the darkness of the shadows in the room. A small smile tugged at her lips.  _How did she do that?_  He wondered vaguely. How did she reach him like that, how did she know what to say and what not to say?

He felt her hands slip out of his. She was going to turn away, but he reached out and caught her wrist and her eyes caught his again in surprise.

"Sakura."

He breathed her name, his voice filled with a rawness he'd never felt before. His chest pounded as he looked at her, and he saw her lips part slightly, saw the minute softening and darkening of her eyes, felt the way she relaxed into his grip slightly.

His lips crashed into hers before he knew what he was doing and he kissed her with a passion he'd never felt before.

He felt lost in her. Lost in her sweet scent, lost in her taste, lost in her touch. His hands snaked around her waist and the back of her neck, and he pulled her to him. He felt his stomach tighten when he realised she was gripping his shirt like she was going to fall, and she kissed him back equally passionate. A low moan ripped from his throat.

The sound of light footsteps broke him out of his passionate embrace and he, reluctantly, stepped back and released her. They were both panting, staring at each other. Neither of them spoke.

The door slid open. It was Madara and Hashirama.

Madara looked between the two of them and his eyes narrowed in suspicion, but Itachi was more interested in the look of concern that Hashirama had.

"Is everything all right?" He asked.

"Fine," Sakura responded, her voice was a little shaky. She looked at Madara. "Please apologise to Matsuri for me," she said. "I'm going home."

"You're the guest of honour," Madara reminded her.

"Not by choice," Sakura retorted. "I'll see you when I face Tobirama."

"Not tomorrow?" Hashirama asked, downcast.

She tapped her forehead.

"I think Mito might have questions I can't really answer."

Hashirama looked at the purple diamond and frowned.

"It's something from Mito?" He asked. "Did you know her?"

Sakura gave a little smile.

"Not quite," she said. "She was dead before I was born."

"So she was part of Konoha," Madara murmured.

Sakura shrugged but didn't reply.

Itachi swallowed, he wanted to get out of the room. He wanted to clear his head, to escape the penetrating gaze of Madara until he could collect himself. His chest was beating so hard and fast he was sure they could all hear it.

Sakura looked at Itachi.

"Let's go home," she said quietly.

He nodded and followed her, keeping silent. Sakura ignored the protests from Madara and Hashirama. She took off her sandals and socks and asked Itachi to hold them while she gathered her kimono in her hands, lifting it off the ground, and together they flickered back to their house.

By the time Sakura had changed out of her kimono and laid in bed, it had been close to an hour and they hadn't spoken at all. Sakura laid on her back with her head turned away from him, with one arm outside the blankets, hand turned upwards.

With a small, hopeful smile, Itachi placed his own hand on hers. After a moment, her fingers curled around his.

"Good night, Itachi," she whispered.

"Good night, Sakura."


	20. Extra's 4 & 5 & 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three more extra's  
> 1: Madara and the apples   
> 2: Sakura, Itachi & Tobirama - housecleaning.  
> 3: Mikoto - 'The Before'

**EXTRA #4:  
** **MADARA AND THE APPLES**

* * *

When Madara was eight, there was a game that became popular with the Uchiha children. They filled up buckets with water and placed apples in them, and putting their hands behind their back and using their mouths and teeth to get them out of the water.

At first, he observed with a scowl and disdain. It was ridiculous, watching the kids act so foolishly, getting wet and looking stupid on purpose. But after a while, he started to see the smiles on their faces were radiating happiness, and their laughter rang out.

Madara felt jealous.

He'd never had the opportunity to feel as free as that before, nor did he particularly like the idea of publicly making a fool of himself.

So Madara did what any embarrassed eight-year-old shinobi would do. He stole a basket, went down to the river, filled it with water, found a hidden area in the forest and gathered apples.

Madara spent weeks alone in his little grove, his head bobbing in and out of the bucket.

Weeks. Actual weeks.

And he never once managed to capture an apple.

_Weeks._

At eight-years-old, Madara had already - unfortunately - killed people. He'd been called a genius, a prodigy. Yet he couldn't figure out a way to bite an apple. Just one.

What was  _wrong_  with him!?

Madara took out his frustration by building structures made out of the hundreds of apples he'd collected. He didn't really know how he'd managed to find so many, but somehow, he'd found himself surrounded by apples of all shades and colours: bright red, green, yellow-green, red-pink.

He quickly gave up trying to bob for apples, becoming far more interested in building his little city made of the fruit.

It wasn't until he'd managed to build a small fort out of the apples that he noticed the little girl staring at him, through the trees giggling behind her hand. He froze with wide-eyes and stared at her, panicked at what to do. Looking around, he looked strange, completely insane. Even he could admit that. There were apples  _everywhere,_  organised into ordered rows and stack neatly to create structures representing buildings.

"Wh-who are you?" Madara asked her girl nervously and defensively, crossing his arms over his chest in the way he remembered his father did.

The girl, with long, silken black hair, dark eyes and rose-red cheeks dropped her hands from her face smiled brightly at him.

"I'm Matsuri. Who are you? Apple boy?" She asked cheekily.

Madara huffed, feeling defensive in his panic.

"I'm not Apple Boy," he said glaring. "I'm Madara."

Matsuri's eyes widened slightly and Madara felt smugly satisfied that she knew who he was. He expected some reverence, being the son of Tajima, the clan leader. To his surprise, Matsuri began to giggle again.

"What are you doing?" She asked, taking little steps closer.

Madara's face burned red.

"Nothing," he snapped. "Mind your own business."

Matsuri pouted.

"You don't have to be so mean," she sniffed. "Stupid Madara, stupid Apple boy!"

She picked up an apple and threw it at him. Madara ducked and the apple flew past him, hitting a tree trunk and landing in the clearing. He watched, horrified, as the apple rolled and rocked over the tallest construct he'd made, which resulted in a domino effect of the entire village of apples he'd created being destroyed.

Madara and Matsuri stared at the devastation with shock.

Little did they know, the apples would be the beginning of a lifelong friendship, but it would take another year of Matsuri's determination before she broke through Madara's hurt, embarrassment and anger about her destroying his secret apple village.

But she had blackmail for the rest of her life, so it didn't bother her at all.

* * *

 **EXTRA #5:  
** **HOUSEWORK**

* * *

"You do know that I'm not the only one who lives here?" Sakura said.

She stood before Itachi, her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowed and frustrated. She had a white apron on over her clothes and a ladle in one hand.

Itachi looked up from the scroll in his hand and frowned.

"I believe that's obvious."

She took a very deep, slow breath, closed her eyes

"Itachi. If you don't want me to punch you into next week, I suggest that you clean up this mess before I clean  _you_  up."

Itachi saw the look on her face - one that had made Shisui tremble with fear, that had caused Naruto to backtracked on whatever he had said - and met it with an even expression of his own. He looked from her to the scrolls around him. Most of them had not been opened by him. Itachi was not in the habit of leaving unraveled, sensitive scrolls around. In fact, his eyes shifted to the small pile of rolled scrolls on the table in front of him, he had been cleaning up after himself.

"I believe this mess was left behind by you, Sakura," Itachi said calmly, although he knew she was going to blow up.

Her eyes narrowed further and her grip on the ladle tightened. She gave him a wicked smile.

"Itachi, have I not been giving your eyes enough treatment?"

"More than enough," he responded.

"Then is it too difficult for you to see that I have been doing almost all the housework since we arrived here?"

Itachi considered.

"Not particularly. I admit you have done quite a lot."

"Exactly. And while I do more, like keep cooking your dinner for tonight, airing out the futon, cleaning in the kitchen, can you just make sure that you contribute a little more to the collective instead of just yourself?"

If Itachi had a chance, he would go back in time and make sure that Sakura spent a little less time with his mother. She sounded far too like Mikoto, which meant they had spent way too much time together talking about the household. He wondered how much his mother had complained about doing the housework, because now that he thought about it, he didn't remember doing much more than keep his own things clean and he never saw his father do much either.

He did have to admit, Sakura's face and aura were intimidating. Her plastered smile made her seem like she ought to have fangs instead of the teeth she did have. He didn't think it would be healthy to argue with her.

He nodded.

"Yes, of course," he replied.

She stared at him for a moment longer, scrutinising him to see if he was lying or mocking her. Satisfied, she gave a short nod and returned to the kitchen, the smell of dinner wafting in the room after her.

A knock at the door had Itachi placing the scroll he was reading down. Before he could stand, Tobirama walked into the house. Itachi looked him up and down, his gaze lingered on the shoes.

Sakura appeared again.

"Ever heard of waiting for the door to be opened?" She asked with sarcasm.

Itachi sat patiently and waited. She would notice soon.

"Apologies," Tobirama said.

He didn't sound sincere. Itachi began to roll up the scrolls around him.

"I have a message from Hashirama."

Sakura tapped her foot on the floor.

"Well?"

A small pile of neatly rolled scrolls was being collected. Itachi picked up the last scroll with some hesitation. It was obscuring Sakura's view from Tobirama's feet.

 _Better him than me_ , Itachi thought with some amusement and pity.

"He'd like to invite you for dinner," Tobirama said.

Sakura huffed.

"Well, unfortunately, dinner is being cooked," she signaled at her apron. "So we decline."

"Tomorrow then," Tobirama said, taking a step further into the house now that the scroll wasn't in the way anymore.

 _Big mistake_ , Itachi thought.

Sakura was about to answer when her eye caught a glimpse of his feet.

"Run," Itachi murmured quietly.

Tobirama looked at him and frowned with confusion.

Itachi nodded at his feet.

"Run," he said again.

Tobirama looked down and then behind him, before looking back up at Sakura. His boots were covered in mud, the floor was dirtied with his mess. An aura that was frighteningly demonic rose around Sakura.

Itachi watched as understanding and fear crossed Tobirama's face, and then the two of them were gone.

Itachi made certain the house was spotless and dinner was served when Sakura returned later - without her ladle.

The next day, Itachi and Sakura went for dinner at Hashirama's. Itachi didn't ask how Tobirama had received a ladle sized blue-black bruise on his cheek, or where the rumours of a ladle-wielding demon had come from.

He was only too aware.

 _Better him than me,_  Itachi thought again, smiling.

* * *

 **EXTRA #6:  
** **SAKURA HARUNO / SAKURA UCHIHA**

* * *

There were times that Mikoto had really worried about her children. Of course, she was constantly worried about Sasuke. He was out in the world, lost physically and mentally to her. She ached for him like nothing she'd ever known before, and there was a knot of emotion in her heart that never faded and would never fade until she saw him safe and sound and in her arms again.

Itachi was different. He'd always been different. Always so smart, so distant, so very Itachi-like. She'd been worried about him until Sasuke was born, worried that he wouldn't be able to connect with people properly. Having a little brother changed Itachi, and she was glad of it. Shisui was good for Itachi too. He brought out a different side to her son, a more playful side to him that she rarely saw.

After meeting Naruto and Sakura, her worries for Sasuke to make friends had lessened. Her worries for him to have a place to belong and come home too also lessened.

But Mikoto was happy for Sakura to be in both her son's lives, her life, and her husband's life. Sakura was something new and wonderful in her family. Aside from herself, her boys never experienced the subtle influence of a female presence in life. A girl like Sakura who was sincere, strong-willed, effeminate, compassionate and with the potential to become a woman without equal.

Fugaku, at one time, had confessed he'd thought he might've liked a daughter. Both of them were glad they had their boys, but Mikoto had secretly wanted a girl too. It was partly why she had encouraged Sakura to stay close to the family. She knew that Sakura had feelings for Sasuke, and that meant she was curious about the family. It was easy to influence the young girl to stick close. It worked out better than she'd hoped.

Sakura was vibrant and lively. She reminded Mikoto of Kushina in a lot of ways. It made her smile to see and hear her argue with Naruto. She wasn't related to the Uzumaki in any way, and there was no blood relation, but Sakura was almost like a piece of his mother, and that made Mikoto happy. She was sure Kushina would be too.

For Itachi, Sakura was colour and distraction. She didn't know it, but all her efforts to get closer to Itachi were wasted, and only served to entertain him. He accepted her far more quickly than she knew; it only took a few days before Mikoto had caught him smiling fondly at her when she wasn't looking. She knew he had been hiding a lot from her and his father about how he was tired and stressed, and after Sasuke left, he'd become withdrawn. Sakura brought him back - with Shisui's help. It might have been Mikoto's subtle suggestion to seek the older Uchiha out.

It took a little longer for Fugaku to see Sakura. Mikoto knew that her husband was under immense amounts of pressure, he simply didn't have time to look at her properly. But when she entered his vision - as a girl who made his son smile again, as a girl whose name seemed to be known to every Uchiha in the compound, who talked to all his officers on the street, who he heard rumours about every day for her conduct and what she said about the clan - he took notice.

Sasuke didn't know it, but in many ways, he took after his father. Itachi was often seen as the quiet one because he wasn't as outspoken or emotive as Sasuke, but the truth was that Itachi was far more attuned and honest with himself than his brother, and as he grew older, he became more talkative and connected with others more deeply.

Sasuke kept his true feelings close to the chest. He spoke harshly to hide it, he remained silent to keep it locked away. He was very much like his father in that respect. Fugaku showed his pride and growing love for Sakura in non-verbal ways, and often only to Mikoto so the poor girl had no idea at all.

He asked Mikoto to make sure she was resting enough, she looked tired. He asked Mikoto to inform him of the days she was coming for dinner, so he'd be home from work on time to be there. He told Itachi to make sure he was training her properly, but not pushing too hard since she had a lot of work to do at the hospital and with the Hokage. When any of the Uchiha were hurt or injured, he always recommended they go to Sakura for treatment.

It made Mikoto smile to see her husband and son worry about her when she was out on missions.

Within two years, Sakura Haruno had become another member of her family.

She wondered what would happen when Sasuke returned, dragged back to his senses by Sakura and Naruto - she knew they would do it one day, somehow. How would he react learning that she had become so close and important to them all in his absence? She had a suspicion that although Sasuke had been pretty focused on training and his ambitions, he'd preferred Sakura to any other girl he met.

Or would Itachi grow attached to her, the older and more beautiful she grew? It would be reasonable, she thought. Sakura was the first girl he'd grown close to since Izumi. She was too young now, but maybe when she was seventeen or eighteen, he'd start to see her as a woman.

Mikoto smiled to herself as she sat across from Fugaku at his desk at the station.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked her, frowning.

Her smiled broadened slightly.

"I was wondering about Sakura," she answered.

"And?"

Mikoto shrugged, still smiling.

"I was thinking that Sakura Uchiha sounds like a fine name."

Fugaku regarded her a moment before his face softened.

"And which of our sons would you pair her off with?" He asked, his voice lighter than it had been all day.

Mikoto laughed.

"I don't think she'd appreciate being paired off with anyone," she said. "She's already taking after Tsunade with her temper, and she's far too like Kushina already to be told what to do."

Fugaku gave a nod of agreement and a knowing look, clearly remembering Kushina from years earlier.

"She's too young for you to be thinking of her being married," Fugaku said after a moment, frowning slightly.

Mikoto let out a wistful sigh, stood and walked around the desk to kiss her husband on the temple.

"But Sakura Uchiha... she would truly be our daughter then," she said. It was time for her to leave. "I'll see you at home for dinner."

Fugaku nodded. Mikoto was at the door when he called out for her.

"She doesn't need the name to be a daughter," he said to her, the ghost of a smile on his lips.

Mikoto looked at her husband with affection and then left, walking through the station and greeting those she walked past with a pleasant smile.

He was right, of course. There was no mistake in her heart that Sakura was the closest thing to a daughter she had.

But the name wouldn't hurt either.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i will have extras that cover some of the parts of this chapter.

**Part Six: The Festival**

**Chapter 18**

Hashirama looked worriedly at Madara. He'd come to find him minutes earlier, not emerging very far from the darkened doorway to the main house, and only caught his eye briefly but it was enough. Hashirama knew Madara well enough to recognise the look on his face. He was worried, bordering on manic, restless, strained, even shocked. Hashirama doubted anyone else would be able to discern all those emotions, except perhaps Izuna - and maybe Sakura.

He'd followed his friend into the house, silently through the dark corridors to enter a room with a single candle lit, that Sakura and Itachi were standing inside of. There was a lot of tension in the air. Both were panting, Sakura looked a little frantic and avoided eye contact. Itachi seemed more expressive than he'd ever seen him, staring at Sakura with a rawness that made Hashirama think they'd intruded on a very private moment.

The pair left with few words despite his and Madara's protests. Now, Hashirama stood in the same room with Madara, who hadn't moved and was staring at the doorway with a frown.

"What happened?" He asked the silent Uchiha with a quiet, nervous voice that was unlike him.

Madara reached over to the door and closed it, Hashirama felt the seal activate. The room was silenced. Something had definitely happened here.

"They told me I was a monster," he said quietly.

Hashirama flinched at the harsh words. Surely that wasn't what they said, he knew the pair well enough to know that they would never have said those words. They had obviously revealed more about the future, but what did they say? Was it something similar to what they'd told him?

"They wouldn't tell me what I did. Only that I became the greatest threat against the world that was ever known," he continued.

He looked at Hashirama, and Hashirama felt his heart reach out for Madara. He looked so lost.

"You're not a monster, Madara," he said gently. "That can't be everything they said. They wouldn't have said anything at all if they believed you were a monster."

Madara frowned in thought.

"They said that I was used by this evil thing they're here for," Madara said, his frown deepening. "They told me that in their time, this… cycle of hatred was broken… and so when they came here, it broke inside me too." He looked away. "If they didn't come here, what would've happened?"

Hashirama clenched his jaw.

"I would be here," he said with stern confidence. Madara looked back at him. "Madara, you are my brother. Never forget that."

He didn't understand exactly what Madara was saying, clearly there was much more to the story of Itachi and Sakura's future than they'd revealed to him.

Madara gave him a strange look.

"Brother," he said, his voice hollow. "My brother."

Madara was lost in his head, and it was worrying Hashirama. He'd never seen him like this before.

"What else did Sakura say?" Hashirama asked, knowing that somehow if Madara thought about her, he'd be able to ground himself again, he'd made his feelings toward her clear earlier, though not in so many words.

"That I'm not the same man. To stand by you. That the future will be brighter if I'm here."

His brow was furrowed and Hashirama couldn't help but give a small smile.

"You should listen to Sakura," Hashirama murmured to him. "She's one of the people who can really see you."

Madara shook his head and sighed, seeming to come back to himself.

"I know," he murmured. He looked up seriously at Hashirama. "But I think we have a bigger problem."

"What is it?"

"Itachi… my clan. I believe that the future they came from was hard for the Uchiha," Madara said.

Hashirama nodded.

"They indicated something like that to me as well."

"Itachi said that Yori Shimura's son murdered his mother."

Hashirama stared in disbelief at Madara.

"What?"

Madara's eye hardened.

"You see how he speaks and acts towards me. You're not blind, even though you're an idealistic fool. Tell me it seems unreasonable to expect that a child brought up with such blatant hostility towards a clan could grow to murder one of them?"

Hashirama shook his head. Denial coursed through him. He didn't want to believe it, he couldn't. It wasn't the future he'd envisioned for the village. Murder? It was a shinobi's business to kill. He didn't know Itachi to be the kind of man who spoke without knowing exactly what he was saying. For him to explicitly say 'murder' meant that this was serious.

Madara walked past him. He turned back to Hashirama when he reached the closed door.

"We only have half the information we need," Madara said, frustration edging into his voice.

"They don't want to have too big an influence the future," Hashirama said with a sigh. "I can understand, it must be difficult for them to know so much and not be able to say it."

"Being here at all as already changed whatever future they came from," Madara said with a scoff. "We need to get them to tell us more."

Hashirama gave a slow nod of agreement.

"It will benefit the village to be forewarned," he said. "But I don't want to force them."

Madara folded his arms over his chest.

"You might not have a choice." He slid the door of the room open. "Don't forget who you are, Hokage."

Hashirama gave a small nod, a flush of pleasure at the sound of the title. He was the Hokage, although it wasn't totally official yet, and had only been an hour or two. His priority was the village, and Sakura and Itachi knew a lot that could help them in the future. If they wanted to create a better life, they were going to have to share their knowledge. Hashirama wouldn't let anything harm his dream, and he'd do anything it takes to make sure it stayed safe.

* * *

Sakura didn't have nightmares the nights she held Itachi's hand, and she didn't think he did either. Usually, they'd have let go sometime during the night, and she'd wake up on her side, turned away from him.

The previous night was different. She didn't know when she'd fallen asleep, only that at some point she had - which was a miracle in itself considering she had been completely freaking out. She was quite proud that she'd managed to keep a pretty calm exterior going while she had an onslaught of fire-butterflies inside everywhere.

The thing that was different was that they were still holding hands when she woke up, and she was facing him, and their faces were close. Close enough that it wouldn't be considered proper since they were not in a relationship or married. Sakura barely moved, barely breathed. She didn't want to wake him up. Her heart flipped in her chest as she stared at him in the soft morning light.

She'd always thought he was handsome. She was eleven when she first met him, and she was so in love with Sasuke then she'd barely given much notice to Itachi, other than the notice little girls give the cute older brothers of their friends. Of course, once Sasuke had left, she'd spent a lot more time with him and Shisui. She'd noticed both of them much more as she got older. She'd always enjoyed spending time with Itachi. She'd never imagined kissing him.

Not like that.

Not the way it felt. So desperate, so raw, so intense and passionate and - it was  _terrifying._

There was a fire inside her. All over her. It burned and she'd never felt more shocked with cold and absence when he stepped away. The way he said her name made shivers crawl over her skin. But that wasn't the scariest thing to her. The scariest thing was how  _right_  it was. How that kiss felt like it had always been inevitable. She had never felt more alive and completed than she had in that fleeting, passionate moment and it was terrifying.

She didn't know how he felt or why he kissed her. Was it because of all his pent-up emotion, just some kind of release? The way he'd moaned in her mouth…she shivered and stabs of fire ran down in her stomach at the memory. She didn't know what to think. If, if he liked her, was it just because they were stuck here together and they were the only ones each other had? Was that the reason she felt the way she did too?

Sakura's eyes traced the lines on his face, under his eyes. Drifting over the smooth skin of his cheeks and dropping down to his lips, slightly parted in sleep. Unconsciously, she licked her lips and bit them, biting back a strong urge to kiss him again.

"Good morning," Itachi murmured tiredly without opening his eyes.

Sakura stilled in shock and blinked.

"Morning," she said with some embarrassment.

Itachi blinked his eyes open tiredly, and Sakura swallowed at the sight of him. He gave her a soft, tired smile reserved for the mornings. He squeezed her hand. She knew the second he remembered everything from the night before. His eyes suddenly widened slightly and showed a mix of emotion.

She stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to say or do, she felt her cheeks burning up under his gaze.

"Sakura, I'm - last night - I…" he trailed off.

Sakura felt her throat close up. She slipped her hand out of his and sat up.

"It's okay. You don't have to say anything." She slipped out of the futon and shot him a fake smile. "We need to focus on the mission, right?"

"Sakura, wait - "

She walked swiftly into the bathroom and closed the door before he could say another word. She slid down to the bathroom floor and put her head on her knees.

"Sakura."

She heard him through the door. Her head snapped up. She heard him sigh.

"I wasn't going to say we should forget it, Sakura."

She felt her heart lurch into her throat and she silently stood again.

"What were you going to say?" she asked through the door.

"Just that…I don't want to forget it," he said after a moment.

Sakura's heart thumped rapidly at his words. She opened the door. They gave each other tentative, uncertain smiles.

Itachi cleared his throat.

"I had an idea - something to do today," he said.

Sakura looked at him in some surprise.

"What is it?"

He tapped her on the forehead with his fingers.

"Secret," he said with a soft, tired smile.

* * *

There were a lot of things that Tobirama found infuriating about his brother. Hashirama was a man of extremes, unable to contain any emotion he felt - except on matters regarding the village, in which he was surprisingly restrained and businesslike. He could rise and fall in his moods in a second. But despite everything irritating about him, Tobirama admired Hashirama above all others. He was, without a doubt, the most powerful shinobi of their age. If he was another man, he might have taken a different path and ruled over others, instead of walking alongside and bringing people along with him. He always tried to be fair, he was loyal, courageous and determined.

He was a man among men - until it came to women.

Hashirama had no idea what to do with romantic feelings. He was filled with other important emotions that kept him moving forward towards his dream so that romantic love was often put to the side and forgotten about. Tobirama didn't blame him, of course, but it was entertaining to see Hashirama try to confront and understand those feelings, especially when the object of his affection wasn't going to make courting her easy.

He watched on with some amusement as Hashirama fumbled with greeting Mito in a manner befitting a teen instead of an Hokage and caught eyes with Ashina, her father, who allowed the pair to walk into the village together stepping back to walk with Tobirama.

Tobirama could only guess that Hashirama was regaling Mito with tales of the village, and to her credit, Mito looked interested and attentive. She seemed to reign in Hashirama's fluctuating mood with an easy smile. Tobirama had to admit, they did look good together and their personalities were well suited. Mito was calming and compassionate, she could temper Hashirama's turbulence. Hopefully, Hashirama could manage to pull himself together and over the next day and secure the marriage that everyone secretly wanted.

Ashina spoke a little with Tobirama about the new developments in their own village and gave him some good ideas about the infrastructure. It reminded him that Madara wasn't there to greet the Uzumaki, and he apologised to Ashina on Madara's behalf. Hashirama had told him about what Sakura and Itachi had said the night before. It wasn't a surprise that Madara had said he wouldn't be available until lunchtime.

* * *

"I don't understand you anymore."

Izuna stared at Madara without comprehension and Madara looked back at his brother with a sense of doubt and confusion.

"In what way?" He asked.

"All our lives, the Senju have been our enemies. How can you be so friendly with them? How can you let Hashirama become a leader over our clan? He will destroy us!" Izuna sounded distraught and looked pleadingly at Madara.

Madara took a look at his brother and felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment in himself, and anger at Izuna's refusal to look beyond the past to the future.

"Not all my life," Madara murmured.

He gave Izuna a hard look, who returned it with equal disgust, confusion and hurt.

"You forget that Hashirama was my greatest friend. Is _still_ my greatest friend."

Izuna looked at him like he didn't recognise him.

"Before we knew we were Uchiha and Senju, we dreamed together of this village, of a future different to what he knew then." Madara stood and looked out the window. "Izuna, did we not used to talk about a future without war, with peace and comfort and safety for our family?"

"We never talked about peace with the Senju."

"What do you think peace is?" Madara turned back to his brother. "We couldn't have had it any other way. The Senju were our greatest enemy and threat. To end the wars between us, we had to come together."

Izuna folded his arms over his chest.

"Father would never have done this."

Madara felt his anger flare.

"Father was a fool!" He hissed. Izuna flinched at his tone. Madara took a deep breath. "I am not the same man as him, nor are you. Do you want war, Izuna? Is that what you want?"

Izuna stood stubbornly.

"Do you want war?" Madara demanded an answer.

"No," Izuna said stiffly. "But they have killed us brother, how can you look past that?"

Madara let out a deep sigh.

"And we have killed them. How many Senju have you killed, Izuna?" Izuna frowned. "In the defense of your own life, I know," Madara continued. "So can you not see that for them it was the same thing?"

Izuna was quiet and unsettled, his face conflicted. Surely, Madara thought and hoped, Izuna could see how things would be better now in the future, and how much things had changed in the last few months.

Madara had an odd thought that he sounded more and more like Hashirama every day, followed by another fleeting idea that Sakura would be proud of him. It brought back the words she'd spoken the night before,  _you are a different man… the greatest threat… not the same…_

"Izuna." Madara stepped forward and put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You are a good man. You're my brother and I love you. But you need to move forward into a brighter future. Be a leader to our clan, to our people, but don't plant suspicion and hatred when there is no need for it."

Madara left the room to give Izuna time with his thoughts. Change was never easy, and Izuna didn't have the advantages that Madara had: the friendship as a child. The influence of Sakura and Itachi, the knowledge of where they came from and some of the things they knew, and the apparently broken cycle of hatred inside of him, although he didn't understand that at all. All he knew was that he was seeing things clearer than he ever had before, and he felt more free and light than he'd thought possible. Hatred, fear, suspicion; they were exhausting.

As he walked away, finally ready to go and meet Hashirama, Tobirama and the delegation of Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi, he wondered with faint amusement and worry if he should've told his brother that the civilian women Izuna had been going to meet with over the last week and a half, was a Senju.

* * *

Sakura waited nervously for Itachi to return from wherever he went to get whatever he was getting. They were dressed in mission gear, armed and ready for anything, but he'd told her it was only precautionary since, after last night, Zetsu was sure to have taken notice. Madara suddenly announcing to the world that he supported Hashirama wasn't supposed to happen.

He'd left her waiting on the path between the village and their house. She leaned back against a tree and took in the sunlight dappled through the branches. Faintly on the wind, she could hear the sounds of the village. The festival was lively and busy, part of her was desperate to experience it and see what they'd decided to do. But the rest of her was happy to keep out of the spotlight, particularly after the night before when she'd been suddenly thrust into it.

She felt strangely calm and content, though she could feel the bubbling of her own nerves just below the surface, and it was all because of Itachi.

Things were different between them. She'd been noticing it for a little while - since her dinner with Madara - but had tried not to pay it too much mind. Now that she was alone and sorting through her memories and emotions, she felt an inkling of understanding and hope. She wasn't sure how to react and respond, but she felt differently than she had a few months ago, and she certainly recognised how different these feelings were compared to what she had once felt for Sasuke.

Memories of Sasuke made her stomach twist, just like the memories of all her friends and family she was torn from. But Sasuke… she remembered blushing furiously around him, at hurting so deeply when he wasn't nice to her, at how she used to sneak glances and be, basically, annoyingly in puppy-love with him. She wasn't like that now. She didn't know if it was because she was older, or if it were because she the way she was feeling for Itachi was so different. It was weird though, she admitted, that she seemed to have attractions towards the brothers. Or Uchiha in general, she thought with some guilt, remembering the way she had almost melted into Madara that night.

Her heart twisted at the thought of Madara. She liked him a lot, now that she understood him and knew him better. Now that she could see the man that he truly was inside, not the monster he'd become in her time. She admired him and she was attracted to his overwhelming and undeniable masculinity. He pulled at her sometimes, she felt it. She bit her lip. But what did that mean? Did that mean she felt for him as well? Romantically?

_There is a woman I've been considering._

She shook her head remembering those words. It was arrogant of her to assume that he was talking about her, but the way that Tobirama and Hashirama had looked at her when he said that made it clear they'd assumed it too. And he… she wasn't blind to the way he looked at her sometimes.

She groaned aloud. She needed Ino. No, she couldn't do that anymore. She needed to talk to Matsuri, just to get out of her own head and clear up the confusion and doubt she was feeling. Matsuri would be honest and make her talk out her feelings until she understood them. She was so lucky to have met Matsuri.

Itachi suddenly appeared before her.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he said.

Sakura blinked in surprise and then shook her head.

"You didn't," she replied.

She glanced at his hand and her heart stuttered. He was carrying a picnic basket.

"What's that?" She asked.

Itachi held up the basket.

"Lunch," he said smiling.

The way Sakura's stomach flipped at his smile made it clear: she needed serious help.

* * *

Itachi hid in the shadows of a tree, unnoticed by Sakura and watched her for a moment. She had no idea how expressive she was. A small smile spread on his face. She frowned, bit her lip, sighed, rolled her eyes and smile, seemed happy, sad, confused, concerned and anxious all within the space of a minute. He liked that about her, he always had.

Her surprise when he flickered to her was amusing, she had been so lost in her thoughts.

His plan for lunch was simple but necessary. He wanted to take her back to the place they'd hidden their clothes, to take back part of their old lives before their new ones started. As for why a picnic, he was a little embarrassed to admit that he just wanted to do something that was simple yet obviously romantic, and hopefully she would see that and understand. From what happened in the morning, it was clear to Itachi that she was uncertain of his intentions.

"So you're not going to tell me where you're taking me?" Sakura asked playfully.

"No," Itachi replied. "But you'll figure it out quickly."

She gave him a look.

"Well, okay then. I won't press you," she said. "It's a nice day," she commented after a moment.

Itachi glanced at her.

"It is," he murmured. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" She frowned.

"Your match," Itachi reminded her. "Against Tobirama."

Sakura gave a little nod.

"Oh, yes. That." She chuckled. "A little. He's really powerful, isn't he?"

Itachi gave a tight smile.

"Yes, he is."

"Everyone talks about Madara and Hashirama, but Tobirama and Izuna are just as powerful aren't they?" Sakura asked.

"I believe so," Itachi said. "Or at least they come very close."

Sakura let out another chuckle.

"Never in my life did I imagine I'd be in this position," she said. "Fighting one of the founders." She shook her head. "Even if it is just for fun, we're caught up in a weird life, being here."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at her.

"We have fought a founder before," he said quietly. "He stabbed you, and my brother."

Sakura flinched and looked at Itachi with something like shock in her eyes.

"Why would you bring that up now?" She looked away. "That wasn't…he's not the same."

Itachi's hand tightened on the picnic basket. He didn't know why he'd said that.

"I'm sorry," Itachi apologised.

They walked on in silence for a while longer. Itachi led them to the river, close to where they'd first arrived. Sakura put her hand on the tree she'd slept under that first night, and looked at the wrecked earth and crater she'd created bashfully. She bent and used a quick earth jutsu to correct the damage.

"Probably should've done that a while ago," she said with an embarrassed shrug, their earlier talk apparently forgotten.

Itachi only smiled and placed the picnic basket down.

"I think this is a good spot for lunch, don't you?"

She nodded, looking around.

"I didn't know how beautiful it was back then."

"We did have other things to worry about," Itachi reminded her.

He passed her a cloth and Sakura looked at it with disbelief.

"You brought a blanket?" She asked with some amazement.

He nodded.

"How else can we enjoy a proper picnic?" He questioned lightly, while they spread it on the grass together.

Itachi put the basket in the middle and they took a seat on either side. He took out the simple foods he'd purchased from the festival and offered them to Sakura.

They ate and talked together for an hour or so, letting themselves forget that the danger they faced, the burden on their shoulders. They reminisced about their lives before, telling each other stories about their families before they'd met. They joked a lot about Shisui, and Sakura said she felt close to Matsuri because she saw his cheeky nature in her. Itachi agreed, but the parts of Shisui in the saw the calm, friendly exterior of Yuri as well.

When the food was finished and everything put back in the basket, he moved the basket off the blanket and lay back on it, looking up at the clear blue sky above them.

"You look like Shikamaru," Sakura mused with a soft smile. "I've never seen you so relaxed before."

Itachi closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

"It's easy with you," he replied.

After a moment, he felt her lay back, edging a little closer to him. He kept his eyes closed, but he wanted to reach out and touch her. He swallowed back his feelings and stayed still on the blanket, but his mind began to reel with thoughts he'd rather not think.

Izumi and Madara. Guilt and jealousy. This was the closest and the most he'd felt about someone since her. He was still seeing her at night, but not, he realised with some surprise, the nights he fell asleep hand-in-hand with Sakura. But Madara was something else. Madara was an immediate problem for him, _he was a threat_ , the feral part of Itachi's mind whispered.

"What are you thinking about?" Sakura asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

He opened his eyes and turned to see that she was also turned to him, looking at him with a little crease between her brows. Her green eyes were a little concerned and thoughtful.

He looked away again, staring at the sky.

"I think the bond that…the brothers talked about is different for me and you," he said after a moment.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked with some confusion.

Itachi's mouth set in a hard line.

"Naruto used to be attracted to you, in the same way, you were attracted to Sasuke," he said after another moment. He looked over at her. "But Sasuke was just a boy. You were both young."

Sakura frowned at him.

"I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"When Ind - he said you were deeply bonded, didn't you ever wonder if that was why? Wasn't it because you share an attraction?"

Sakura stared at him and slowly her face began to taunt in first pain, and then anger.

"What exactly are you trying to say, Itachi?" She said through her teeth.

Itachi turned away from her again, something in his chest felt intense pain.

"I've seen the way you and Madara look at each other." He started rambling, unable to stop the thoughts that had been piling up inside him from spilling out. "Is it the bond or with Madara himself?"

Sakura sat up stiffly, her fists clenched and Itachi looked at her with regret and slowly sat up.

"Why did you kiss me?" Sakura asked quietly, surprising him. She turned angry, tear-filled eyes to him.

"If that's what you think, why did you kiss me? Why have you been acting so - so affectionate to me with your stupid forehead taps and - and looking at me all the time."

She stared at him, desperate for an answer but she turned away again and after another second of Itachi's silence, she abruptly stood.

"You think I have no mind of my own."

Itachi's eyes widened.

"What? Sakura - no, that's not what I - " He stammered, panicked, scrambling to his feet.

Sakura shook her head and kept resolutely facing away from him.

"Don't, Itachi. Just don't," she said, her voice shaking. "I thought, I thought maybe you - " she cut off with a disbelieving scoff. "I guess I was wrong. Thanks for lunch. It was a treat."

She flickered away before Itachi could say anything in return. He stared at her absence before he lowered himself into a crouch and putting his face in his hands in exasperation, guilt, and regret.

What had he done?

* * *

After Sakura left Itachi and cried to herself in the woods for a while, she went straight to Matsuri. Yuri, seeing her tear-streaked face, left quickly with Kagami, citing the sudden need to visit Izuna and take Kagami to the festival and left the two young women alone in the house.

Matsuri immediately took Sakura into her arms, embracing her in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, I forgot your kimono," Sakura sobbed.

Matsuri gave a chuckle.

"I don't think you're crying your heart out over forgetting that," she said. "Tell me what's really wrong."

Sakura sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"Everything," she said. "Everything is too much."

Matsuri frowned, helping Sakura down to the couch.

"I'll get some water, and then you can tell me all about how everything is too much, okay?"

Sakura nodded. Matsuri came back a moment later with some water and she took a sip, easing her aching throat.

Matsuri wiped another tear from Sakura's eye, which just made Sakura tear up even more.

"I just feel so dumb," Sakura sniffed.

"Why?" Matsuri asked with concern. "Does this have something to do with Madara? Or Itachi?"

Sakura nodded. She couldn't tell Matsuri everything, she couldn't explain about Madara being a reincarnation, or about the theory Itachi had just blurted out about the bonds between them. She so badly wanted to just spill everything out, but she couldn't and it made her hurt more.

"Itachi kissed me last night," she whispered.

Matsuri's eyes widened slightly with surprise.

"And? How did that make you feel? What happened?"

"We were… he was having a hard time with some memories from the past and I helped him." She cleared her throat a little. "And he just… the way he looked at me…" She shook her head. "He kissed me and I - "

"You what?" She prompted her.

"I kissed him back." She looked at Matsuri. "I've never… I've kissed someone before, but it wasn't like that." She put her hands on her chest and her stomach. "I felt things in here," she whispered. "I felt it everywhere." She put her hands to her face and covered it, crying again. "I thought he felt something for me, but I think I just got too hopeful."

She felt Matsuri hug her again.

"Sakura, what did Itachi do?"

"He took me on a picnic, and it was so nice," she sniffled and cried. "But he said that… he starting talking about Madara."

Matsuri sighed and pushed Sakura back, keeping her hands on Sakura's shoulders.

"What exactly about Madara did he say?"

"That - that we have a bond, and," Sakura frowned, "something about the way we look at each other. It was… he was saying that I have no mind of my own because of the bond."

Matsuri looked at her with confusion.

"Bond? What do you mean?"

Sakura looked at her with hesitation.

"I can't tell you," she said. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry but I can't tell you. Not yet, at least, not until after my mission is done."

Matsuri let out a sigh.

"Fine. Okay. But Sakura, what exactly… what is the problem?"

Sakura blinked in surprise.

"I don't - what do you mean?"

Matsuri tilted her head to the side and gave her a look of fond exasperation.

"Sakura, do you love Madara?"

"What? No, of course not," she said automatically.

"How do you think and feel about him?"

Sakura swallowed and frowned thinking.

"I think he's… he's a good man with the potential to be more. I admire him."

"Are you attracted to him?"

Sakura was about to open her mouth to deny it, but she kept quiet. She was attracted to him, there was something there, just like Itachi said. She gnawed on her lip.

Matsuri sighed.

"Sakura attraction to someone doesn't mean that you have feelings for them," she said.

"It doesn't?"

Matsuri laughed.

"Sometimes I forget you're younger than me."

"You're only nineteen," Sakura mumbled.

"Yes, and there's a difference between seventeen and nineteen, believe me," Matsuri said knowingly.

Sakura sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"Feelings are confusing," she muttered.

"So, do you want to tell me about Itachi?" Matsuri asked her.

"I don't know what to say," Sakura said after a moment. "Itachi's always been… easy. He's known me since I was eleven or twelve."

"So you've been friends first, for a while?"

Sakura shrugged.

"Yeah. We've been through a lot together," she said thoughtfully. "I couldn't imagine him not being there," she said slowly. "I've never imagined him not being there," she frowned.

"So, you love him," Matsuri stated simply.

Sakura looked at her. Did she love Itachi? Is that what she was feeling?

Memory upon memory assaulted her. Tears, laughter, training, smiles, frowns, pain, injuries, sharing meals, listening, talking, worrying. How even before the war she had sought him out, how she found comfort and ease in his presence, how she immediately relaxed under his touch whenever he put a hand on her shoulder, or how just one look in his eyes instilled her with calm or confidence.

And after, when they'd been brought here. That moment between them before they met Tenji, across the fire when she'd crossed the invisible line between them and told him that she knew who he was. Because she did. She knew Itachi, she knew him into his soul.

Itachi was good. He was kind. He was strong and resilient and passionate. He hid his emotions so well he repressed them until they exploded in violence or passion or both at once. He could be cold and calculating, but he always tried to find the just and fair option before taking a deadlier approach. He was so incredibly intelligent, he rarely let people in, but those he did, he would be loyal to forever.

In the last few months, all she had was him and she never once wanted someone else to be the one beside her. She missed her friends and family, but she couldn't trade any of them for him. She didn't want to. She wanted him.

"I love him," she whispered in shock, surprise and realisation. "I really love him." She stared at Matsuri who was looking at her expectantly. "Matsuri. What do I do?"

Matsuri shrugged.

"You know, I've always found that Uchiha men need to hear it directly. Otherwise, they're just blathering idiots who don't know how to deal with life or love."

Sakura took a deep, shaking breath, and she laughed.

"I think that's true," she said. She swallowed and then drank some more water. "Do you mind if I stay here this afternoon? I don't want to go home yet, and there's something I need to do."

"Sure," Matsuri smiled kindly. "I'm going to go find Yuri. If I run into Itachi or Madara, want me to send them here?"

Sakura shook her head.

"No. Please. I'll see them another time. But, do you have any clean scrolls?" She asked. "There are some things I need to record."

Matsuri thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Sure."

"Thank you," Sakura said.

Matsuri left soon after giving her the scrolls, and Sakura set to work. Now that she had cleared up some of her own feelings, she had remembered something else she'd been meaning to do. There were things that needed to be known, and she wasn't going to let the future Konoha turn into the same, dark place that gave birth to the twisted ideals of men like Danzo.

* * *

Sakura came home after Itachi had already gone to bed. She'd pulled her futon away from his and slept on the other side of the room. She was up and gone by the time he woke up, but she left breakfast for him, which Itachi could only imagine was done out of habit since she was clearly avoiding him.

He didn't see her again until he reached the arena. Or, the cleared field with Hashirama's wooden stands constructed around it, that would act as the arena for the festival matches. He wondered again if he should help them with the village infrastructure or not.

It was easy to spot her. Her pink hair made her an easy find, plus, not many others had the white hair of Tobirama either. When they stood together in a group of dark-haired shinobi, they were obvious. He found a place across from where Sakura was standing with the Senju brothers, the Uchiha brothers and the other clans. He recognised them easily for who they were, shinobi clans often weren't hard to distinguish, particularly not the ones from Konoha.

He observed from afar until he caught sight of a wildly waving Hashirama Senju and sighed. Now, his presence was known and everyone was looking at him. He made his way across the field, his steps felt heavy the closer he came to Sakura, but he needed to see her. He eyed Madara, who stood beside her and felt self-loathing at his own petty insecurities.

"Itachi! You made it!" Hashirama called and beamed at him.

Itachi didn't bother to acknowledge him until he reached them.

"Good morning," he greeted the group.

"This is Itachi Uchiha," Hashirama introduced him to the new clan heads. "He's Sakura's friend - " Itachi internally flinched at the word - "and has been adopted into the Uchiha clan."

"Adopted?" The Nara said, looking at him with a critical but lazy eye. "He looks Uchiha enough to me," he said, and Hashirama laughed.

"Then it was the natural choice to make," Madara said, smoothly.

Itachi looked at Sakura, who immediately looked away, a blush on her cheeks. He turned with a heavy heart and looked to Tobirama.

"Are you certain you've prepared enough?" He asked, attempting to sound light.

Tobirama smirked.

"For a match against this pipsqueak?" Sakura cast him a glare. "I think I'll be good."

Hashirama laughed.

"Just don't get hit," he said, rubbing his stomach. "It hurts."

Sakura looked at him guiltily.

"Sorry about that," she said.

"She landed a hit on you, Hashirama?" The Yamanaka asked curiously.

"A good one," Hashirama grinned.

Sakura rolled her eyes and turned to Tobirama.

"So when is our match?"

"There's a couple of warm-up matches, and then us."

A few moments later, Hashirama told them it was time to begin, and the clan heads all took seats. Itachi took a seat between Tobirama and Izuna, while Sakura was on the other side of Tobirama and beside Madara. He swallowed his own feelings about that and kept his attention on Hashirama who announced the first match and then took his place beside Madara.

"You and Sakura left the party early the other night," Izuna remarked to him.

"We did," Itachi replied.

"More's the pity," Izuna said. "There were a lot of people who wanted to meet her, and others that wanted to meet you."

"Perhaps the chance will come again," Itachi said with little enthusiasm.

Izuna scoffed.

"You make it sound like meeting your family is the worst thing you can imagine."

Itachi allowed a small smile.

"Not the worst," he said.

Izuna shook his head and Itachi was surprised at how easy the interaction with Izuna felt. The last time they'd spoken was tenser. He didn't know Izuna at all, except that he liked to flirt with Sakura and looked a little too much like Sasuke for his liking.

"Are you competing?" Itachi asked.

Izuna shrugged.

"If there's a worthy opponent," he said, looking at Itachi.

"Well. I hope you find one," Itachi replied disinterestedly, turning to watch the matches.

The first two matches were over quickly. Genin and chunin-level shinobi were the warm-ups it seemed. They weren't exciting and the crowd was growing restless.

Itachi caught sight of Mito Uzumaki and a grey-haired man enter the area and make their way around to where they all sat.

Sakura pulled Tobirama to his feet.

"I'm bored," she said. Itachi knew she was avoiding meeting the Uzumaki. "Let's do this."

Tobirama grinned and Hashirama shrugged, indicating for them to do whatever they liked. Everyone sat a little straighter, their eyes a little more focused and looked more eager for this match. The crowd quietened as Tobirama and Sakura took their places on the field. Whispers started, most likely about who the girl was going up against Tobirama Senju.

Itachi kept his eyes on Sakura, watching her roll her shoulders and crack her neck. He barely noticed Mito greet him. Sakura took her stance and Tobirama did the same. They said something to each other, but he was too far away to hear.

The match began with Hashirama's go and then the earth shattered.

* * *

Sakura stood across the field from Tobirama feeling excited and nervous all at once. She could feel the eyes of everyone on her and heard the whispers, but she didn't mind. This fight was going to be a release of everything. She didn't have to hold back against Tobirama. There was an invisible barrier that would deflect anything - chakra, physical objects - from leaving the field and hitting someone, Hashirama told her about it when she arrived. He was as excited for this as she was. Maybe more so.

"I'm not going to hold back," she called to Tobirama. "So you better not either."

Tobirama gave her a smirk.

"Wouldn't dare."

They heard Hashirama announce them, and then it began.

Sakura's fist connected with the ground in a chakra-filled punch that shattered the area, creating cracks and crevices, a playing field she was familiar with and she could now more easily control. But she didn't waste any time, he was the fastest shinobi of the time, and one of the fastest in history - only Minato and Shisui were equals, apparently - so she needed to take every opportunity she had.

She used the uneven ground as launch pads, keeping her eyes firmly on Tobirama, who had leaped backward, landing in a crouch, one hand on the ground. She flung a kunai towards him and he dodged, jumping to the right, letting it sail behind him. She immediately flung four shuriken out at his feet and another two kunai at his abdomen. They flew fast, enhanced by chakra, and Tobirama had to leap far to the side to avoid them, giving Sakura the chance to flicker toward him and reach him as he landed.

She gave him a wicked smile as she came up from beneath him, fist flying upwards for his chin. He dodged her by only centimeters, leaning his head backward and away, and then they immediately began to exchange blows.

He blocked a punch with his forearm, and she blocked the knee coming for her ribs with hand. Flurries of punches and kicks that were dodged and blocked made the crowd roar with excitement. Their exchanges were fast, each attempted to grip each other but not managing to find a hold. They moved together fluidly, like well-practiced dance partners. Sakura was surprised but pleased. Tobirama managed to grip her arm and then leg in his giant hands, and with quick thinking, Sakura kicked off the ground with her other foot, came close to him, and used his body as a step-ladder to fling herself backward and out of his grip and reach, kicking him backward hard in the process.

They both regained their feet and appraised one another. Tobirama looked impressed, she saw a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead, but unlike her, he wasn't panting, which was irritating and only further proof that he wasn't giving his all.

"That style of fighting," he said, looking at her with intensity. "That's…where did you learn it?"

Sakura smiled.

"Well. I never told you who my master was, did I?"

Tobirama looked at her for a moment and then a smile spread across his face.

"I guess we have more in common than I thought," he grinned.

He was right. Their style of fighting was similar. Tsunade developed her own style based on her skill, but she had to have a grounding of it somewhere, and that was within her clan. Probably, she guessed, from the man in front of her, considering how direct a style it was.

As Sakura was assessing her next move, she saw him move. His hands quickly began to make signs, and Sakura launched more shuriken at him. Tobirama was known as the greatest and most powerful water jutsu user there ever was and she did not want to play that game. As long as she could keep him moving, she had a chance. Her own ninjutsu was the last resort for her. She didn't have enough chakra to be a strong ninjutsu fighter.

She attacked again. Hard, fast, furious. He repaid her in kind, not pulling any of his strength back and attacking with ferocity. If it wasn't for her own ability to use her chakra to strengthen her body, she would have broken bones at the force of his hits. Though, her training with Tsunade, Itachi, and Shisui meant that she managed to avoid a lot of the hits that he expected to land on her.

She could see the frustration edging on his face, as she stopped him from making any hand signs. He'd underestimated her own speed and agility. She could imagine Tsunade in the back of her mind, cheering at her to show him what she was made of. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins with each move they made, but she knew that her chakra was minuscule compared to his, and if she lost focus on her control for even a second, it would be over with the snap of his fingers.

Sakura had to use all her smarts to keep up with him, now that she could tell he was dipping further into his own retinue. She whipped out a kunai from her pouch and he met her with one of his own. She used it to try and get him to lower his guard somewhere, so she could just land a single punch…just one punch and she would have the advantage, for a little while at least.

She saw her chance when he lifted his arm just a little too high, obscuring his vision for a second. On the way down, she would have her chance. She used the uneven rocked behind her to launch from, and she went for his face. He met her eyes for a split second, a smile started to spread on her face, and then he was gone. Her fist connected with air and she stumbled, recovering with a somersault. She quickly stood and looked around, only to see Tobirama standing back on the other side of the field again.

He gave her a cheeky grin and wave and Sakura put her hands on her hips.

"Chicken!" She called out.

There was a burst of raucous laughter from the stands that Sakura recognised as Hashirama's.

Sakura immediately formed the jutsu for the earth wall, which came up just in time to stop the rush of water from a water dragon. Her shinobi senses told her to duck, and dodge as a wall of water came at her from behind, where Tobirama had materialised. She flipped, jumped and cartwheeled away as the water followed her. She caught sight of Tobirama who was controlling the flow of the wave with his hands.

Gathering chakra as she moved, Sakura cartwheeled and was upside down, directly facing Tobirama, and with as must strength as she could muster, shot the water bullets at him.

As he dodged, the wave he'd created disappeared into the ground, and Sakura panted. She'd used a lot of chakra with that last jutsu.

In a blink, Tobirama was gone from her sight, and then he was behind her and a kunai was held at her neck.

She froze.

"You put a seal on me," she said, realising how he'd gotten to her.

"It was a good fight," he said, his breath finally uneven, showing that he was at least a little tired. "But it's over now."

Sakura smiled.

"Is it?"

She stomped on his foot, and with a surprised cry, he released her, she spun and kicked him back a few feet, jumped on top of him and brandished her own kunai at his throat.

"You broke my foot," he said, wide-eyed.

Sakura shrugged.

"I like to win," she grinned.

He shook his head.

"I'm not going to yield to you," he said, taking hold of her arms.

Sakura grinned.

"But you want me to heal your foot, don't you?"

He stilled and narrowed his eyes at her.

"You cheat."

"As I said, I like to win," Sakura said. "Yield?"

Tobirama let out a sigh.

"Next time, I won't hold back anything."

Sakura gave a little smile.

"I know."

She shoved back off him and helped him sit up. The spectators, that Sakura had completely forgotten about, cheered for her.

"I'm never going to live this down," Tobirama groaned, looking around them.

Sakura moved down to his foot and examined it. He didn't wince or show his pain as she examined it. Her hands glowed green as she repaired the tendons, muscle, and bone. Her chakra was low, but it was the least she could do for him. After all, even she could admit, he did let her win.

* * *

Itachi followed Sakura, walking beside her silently. He'd given her congratulations when she and Tobirama had returned to their group, along with the others, and watched as she laughed and teased Tobirama. He wondered when the two of them had gotten close, but while watching them, realised their personalities were quite suited to each other.

She'd left before she could be drawn into more conversation, giving Itachi a questioning look and he'd left with her. They took to the forest, avoiding the people who had begun to look for Sakura - the girl from nowhere who'd beaten Tobirama Senju - and took the long way home.

They jumped from a tree branch down onto the path towards there house and Itachi still didn't know what to say. She didn't make conversation with him or even look at him. He'd never felt quite so helpless before. It wasn't until Sakura entered the house that she stopped to turn and looked at him. She looked anxious, but there was something else in her features that he didn't recognise. He looked back at her blankly, not wanting to provoke anything from her but desperately waiting for something to be said between them.

"Are you - do you to - "

Sakura started and stopped and tried again but didn't get out what she wanted to say. She took a deep breath and let it out heavily, shook her head and looked at him.

"I'm going to bathe outside. You should come and join me in ten minutes. We need to talk."

She walked away, her face turning red and left Itachi in the lounge room, speechless.

She wanted…to bathe…  _together?_

After not talking for almost two days, she wanted to bathe together and talk? Itachi swallowed loudly. Confusion overrode every other emotion he could have felt at that moment. He collected himself after a few minutes as his mind ran through everything that she could possibly have meant.

Was it a joke? He didn't know her to be the kind of person to do that. So what did she want to talk about in the bath that they couldn't discuss fully dressed? He walked slowly around the house, undressing and taking a towel about his waist, a frown etched onto his brow.

Waiting a little longer, he walked outside to the spring at the back of the house. Sakura was facing away from him. Her hair was tied up, with little wet strands stuck to her neck. He saw her towel was wrapped around her entire body and swallowed. She didn't turn when he stepped into the still water, disturbing it.

The spring wasn't large. It was big enough for maybe one other person. The water was clear and cool. It was surrounded by rocks, with other rocks making seats in the convoluted oval shape of the spring. It wasn't a natural construct, but it was well made.

He lowered himself and was seated across from her before he softly said her name.

"Sakura."

Sakura slowly turned to face him, her cheeks pink, her hands wrapped around her chest, keeping her towel up, reminding him once again that they weren't kids anymore, and this was an entirely new line they were crossing.

They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. Sakura blinked slowly, taking him in, and he forced himself to remain still as her eyes flickered down to his bare chest. She met his eyes again with some embarrassment.

"I wanted to tell you I'm sorry," Itachi said quietly.

"For what?" Sakura tilted her head quizzically.

His hand played over the water in front of him.

"You're not the kind of person that would let anyone control her. Your mind is entirely your own." Sakura looked down at the water. "Sakura, I - " he trailed off. He didn't know what to say, he didn't even know how to put it into words. "I don't want to forget it," he said eventually.

"Itachi." Sakura's voice was quiet and she didn't look up when she spoke. "What you said, it really hurt me."

She looked up at him, her green eyes reflected light from the pool of water and she hugged herself tighter.

"Thank you for apologising. Now I have something to say." Her voice was shaking.

Itachi waited, his stomach tight and nerves like he'd never known whirled inside him.

"We have something really important to do here, and until our mission is over I feel like we're just stuck in this half-life."

She shook her head and she closed her eyes, took a breath and then looked at him again.

"I don't want to live like that like everything is on pause. I don't know how you feel about me. I like to think I know you pretty well, but I just can't figure this out. I hope that - " she swallowed. "I hope that kiss wasn't a mistake and that you mean it when you say you don't want to forget it. Because I - I - " she stopped and bit her lip, looking almost like she was going to cry.

"Itachi, I'm - I love you."


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1: during the tobi v sakura fight  
> 2: izuna and the senju
> 
> \- sorry for the lack of Izuna. it's just that he's not a main character, and his importance is lower than the others. he's actually busy behind the scenes, so to speak, with clan duties and other stuff. he's not really a 'founder' so to speak, not in the same way as the others, he's just not as invested. so i've tried to add him into my extra's.
> 
> \- the bathing together scene is an expression of vulnerability, which is how Sakura feels and i think it adds a lot of intimacy to the moment of confession
> 
> \- Madara is not a resolved issue for Sakura's love life, so don't worry, he'll be back
> 
> \- blergh. the Shimura clan. i actually hate Danzo so much. anyway, stuff will happen, but maybe not in the way you expect?
> 
> \- i hope these extras address what you wanted to see in the last chapter.

 

**EXTRA #7:**   
**ON THE SIDELINES OF SAKURA VS. TOBIRAMA**

* * *

Hashirama liked to think he was pretty good at masking his emotions. He could put on the face of a diplomat when needed, he could keep a tight reign on his mood when the situation called for it. It was just Mito made him feel like he was ten years old again and he didn't know what to do about it.

They'd known each other since they were children. Their families had always been close. But the Uzumaki were not interested in the kind of war and violence that the Senju and Uchiha had traded in. They built their own village outside the Land of Fire and focused on their specialty fuinjutsu so much that they were known and feared over all the nations for their knowledge and skill.

The first time he'd met Mito was when he'd found her playing with Itama. Her hair was the brightest shade of red he'd ever seen, and he liked the way she smiled and played with his brother. They'd had sporadic contact over the years, but it wasn't until Mito turned seventeen that he felt his heart skip a beat at her.

She grew up in the time they'd spent apart, and now, she was a strikingly beautiful woman and his eyes and mind were constantly being drawn to her.

Across the field, he saw her and her father. Mito walked like the princess she was. Her posture was perfect, her hands clasped neatly in front of her, her gait graceful and air refined.

Sakura suddenly stood and pulled Tobirama to his feet and Hashirama recalled that she didn't want to speak with Mito if she had a choice because of the seal on her forehead. Hashirama shrugged at Tobi's questioning look, and the pair of eager warriors headed out onto the field. It was going to be a far more interesting encounter than the previous fights had been. Tobirama was unquestionably one of the strongest warriors of the age, but, Hashirama knew that Sakura had a lot more power than she'd displayed so far.

His gaze drifted to Mito and her father, who drew ever closer to him, his heart sped up in his chest. He turned and in a booming voice, amplified by chakra, announced the beginning of the match between his brother and Sakura.

"We made it just in time, it seems," Mito said as she reached him.

Hashirama gave her a smile.

"Take a seat," he said.

Madara subtly scooted down the bench to take the place Tobirama and Sakura had vacated and sat beside Itachi. Mito gave him a little smile, and she sat.

A great quaking shook the ground and everyone turned to see Sakura the field demolished by one of Sakura's punches, with Tobirama deftly jumping away from the demolition. Ashina gave an impressed whistle and took the seat beside Madara. The pair spoke together and Hashirama sat beside Mito, torn between wanting to talk to her and wanting to watch the fight.

"What strength," Mito said with astonishment.

Hashirama nodded in agreement.

"Sakura is a medic-nin," he told Mito.

He glanced at Mito's forehead. The same purple diamond as Sakura's was there.

"She is clearly more than just a medic," Mito said with a small smile, her eyes watching the match intently.

Hashirama returned her smile with one of his own, his expression taking on a fondness when he saw how interestedly she watched the battle.

"Just as you are more than just the Uzumaki princess," Hashirama said.

Mito gave him a surprised look and a faint pink dusted her cheeks before she turned back to the match.

Ashina, who sat beside Hashirama, leaned over and whispered,  _"Smooth,"_  in Hashirama's ear. Hashirama shot him a panicked and confused look, and Mito's father just winked at him. Hashirama didn't know how to feel about that.

"She's smart," Mito said, drawing back Hashirama's attention. "She's not allowing Tobi to use hand signs."

Hashirama watched as Sakura kept close to his brother, and stopped him from bringing his hands together to make signs. Her style of fighting was somewhat familiar to him, and he was impressed with how well she was keeping up with Tobi, although it was clear that Tobirama was the superior fighter.

Keeping up well enough that he had to use his Thunder God to avoid her attack.

"Chicken!" Sakura's voice rang out.

Hashirama laughed loudly at that, and he was joined by the soft chuckles of the other clan leaders around him.

"She fights well," Inorou Yamanaka said, excitement in his voice.

"Sakura Haruno, wasn't it?" Chosume Akimichi said. "I've never heard of a Haruno clan."

"She fights like a Senju," Shikaru Nara observed.

Hashirama gave a nervous chuckle.

"Sakura has a complicated past," he said. "The Senju style is broad and adaptable."

He felt Madara's eyes on him, but he ignored him.

Mito's arm gripped his suddenly, as Tobirama sent a Water Dragon after Sakura, followed by a giant wave of water. Sakura's agility was put to the test, but she impressed everyone with the water bullets that stopped Tobirama's attack.

Hashirama couldn't help but burn under Mito's touch, and his heart raced even more. As if realising that Hashirama was staring at her, Mito turned to him, looked at her hand and released it quickly, leaving him with a sense of disappointment.

Hashirama gave an intake of breath, along with everyone around him when Sakura stomped on Tobirama's foot, kicked him away and apparently won the bout.

"Well," Yori Shimura said flatly. "Apparently the medic is fine with deliberately injuring her supposed friends."

Hashirama stilled and saw that Madara and Itachi had also become very tense. Sasuke Sarutobi gave a small chuckle.

"A medic as good as her wouldn't do something she couldn't fix right away," he said, trying to diffuse the statement. "See," he said. "She's already healing him."

So she was. Hashirama smiled at the sight. His brother was shaking his head, and the crowd was chanting Sakura's name.

"It's rare to see so many shinobi from different clans come together like this," Inorou said. "I quite like it."

Hashirama's heart gave a little squeeze, and Mito gave him a happy smile.

"I hope that means you're open to becoming a part of the village," Hashirama said warmly.

The Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi shared a look.

"It's something we'd like to discuss further," Shikaru Nara said after a moment.

Hashirama beamed and gave Madara a happy look, who also looked like he was close to smiling.

Sakura and Tobirama came over to them, she was smiling widely and Tobirama had a long-suffering expression.

"Well done, Sakura!" Hashirama greeted her with a wide smile.

"Congratulations," Madara said to her. "You fought well."

"I'm glad someone put Tobirama in his place," Izuna muttered.

Sakura grinned and elbowed Tobirama.

"I warned you not to get hit," Hashirama said teasingly to his brother, who glowered at him. "Looks like you finally found someone as competitive as you."

Tobirama sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"The next time we fight, I'll destroy her."

"As if you could," Sakura laughed. "You like me too much."

Tobirama shook his head.

"About as much as I like Hashirama leaving me all the paperwork to do."

There was collective laughter at that. Hashirama looked at Mito, who was staring at Sakura.

"Sakura," he cleared his throat. "This is Mito Uzumaki, and her father, Ashina."

Sakura turned and smiled at Mito, her eyes flickered to the seal they shared.

"It's nice to meet you, Hashirama's told me all about you," Sakura said pleasantly, but clearly uncomfortable.

"Good things, I hope," Mito replied pleasantly.

Sakura nodded.

"Definitely," she grinned.

Mito's eyes were plastered on Sakura's seal.

"It seems we share a common feature," she said.

Hashirama saw Sakura's smile falter slightly.

"Yes. The Yin Seal," she said. "I learned it from my master."

"And who was your master?" Ashina asked her.

"Her name was Tsunade," Sakura said.

She was looking between Mito and Hashirama with a strange look in her eyes that Hashirama had come to recognise as one she had when she was thinking about the future she was from.

"She never did tell me where she learned it. Is this something common for Uzumaki?" Sakura spoke smoothly, and Hashirama was impressed at how believably innocent she sounded.

Mito looked at her curiously.

"It's not common to anyone except ourselves, apparently," she said, looking at her father. "As you know, perfect chakra control is the requirement of mastering the seal."

Sakura nodded.

"Yep. It is." She turned to Hashirama. "Shouldn't you get announcing the next fights? I mean, it's a festival, isn't it?"

Hashirama nodded.

Sakura and Itachi slipped away moments later, leaving Mito and her father with frowns, and the rest of the group a little confused.

"So, Mito," Hashirama cleared his throat as he sat back down beside her. "Would you like to see more of the village after this?"

"Yes, of course," she replied. "I'd love to know more about your plans."

Hashirama smiled.

"That's great," he said happily. "I've got lots of plans. So does Madara and Tobirama. This village is going to wonderful and peaceful and happy."

Mito gave him a radiant smile and Hashirama felt like melting.

"If you're a part of this, I truly believe your dreams will come true," she said. "I've always believed in you."

He wanted to explode with happiness and didn't expect his thoughts to pour out of his head like they did the next second.

"I really want to marry you."

Everyone seemed to freeze. Hashirama froze. Mito froze. All the eyes of the people around him turned to look at the pair of them.

Hashirama felt his face start to burn and saw Mito's cheeks turn red. Tobirama put one hand to his face and sighed, while Izuna held back disbelieving chuckles. Suddenly, Ashina laughed and clapped the stunned Hashirama on the shoulder.

"That's one way to propose," he said. He looked at Mito. "What do you think, my darling daughter? Want to spend the rest of your life with this idiot?"

Hashirama coughed and spluttered and didn't know how to recover.

Mito, ever the collected person, reached a hand out and placed it atop of Hashirama's. He looked down at their hands and then back up at her face. She was smiling.

"I thought he'd never ask."

There was a collective chuckle and congratulations from around them, and Hashirama had a smile so big and bright that his cheeks started hurting. He didn't remember another time when he'd ever felt so happy.

* * *

**EXTRA #8:  
** **THE GIRL IN THE VILLAGE**

* * *

The first time Izuna saw her, she was carrying a bag filled with apples. One spilled over the top, and he bent to collect it for her.

"Thank you," she said with a breath of relief when he handed it back to her.

"N-not a problem," Izuna stammered out and coughed.

Something happened that had never once happened to Izuna before. He looked at her and felt his throat close up and his face heat up and his tongue felt thick in his mouth. He started to sweat lightly. She smiled and he almost fell over. She was beautiful, and for the first time since he'd met her, all thoughts of Sakura were banished from his mind.

"I'm Asami," she said, greeting him.

"Izuna," he managed to choke out.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Izuna," she said. "Thank you again."

Izuna stood there dumbly as Asami walked away. It was a full minute before he was able to move. He turned to look for her, but she was gone. All he knew was that he had to find her again.

The second time Izuna saw Asami was after three days of staking out the market in town, waiting for her to appear again.

This time, he greeted her with only minimal difficulty, but the sweating and rapid pulse remained.

"Asami, good morning," he said, coming up to the stall she was standing by.

"Oh, good morning, Izuna," she smiled warmly at him. "Would you like some pie?" She offered a slice of what looked like apple pie to him.

He looked at the stall.

"This is your shop?" He asked.

She nodded.

"Thanks to your heroic save of my apple, I could make enough pies to sell today."

Izuna looked at her happy face and sweet smile and felt his stomach flip.

"I guess I better make sure that my actions were worth it," he said, smiling back at her.

They were worth it. In fact, they were worth the next hour that he spent talking to her. Asami was friendly and open. She had long brown hair that shone in the sun, and honey-brown eyes that were filled with mirth and laughter. Her smile made him feel warm. It was with great reluctance that he left her to meet with Madara, a meeting he was already late for.

He didn't know how it happened or why, but for the next six days, Izuna met with Asami every day. They walked in the market, they talked about a lot of different and interesting things. Asami was easy to be around. She laughed and teased and blushed prettily whenever his hand would accidentally-on-purpose brush against hers.

He liked her. He really,  _really_  liked her.

Izuna was angry and confused after his talk with Madara about the Senju, about the Hokage and leadership, and Asami was the only person he wanted to see.

He stalked through the market but paused when he saw her talking to some of the Senju men he remembered from the battlefield. One of them ruffled her hair in a familiar way that made Izuna's chest tighten with jealousy.

"Stop it," Asami whined, flattening her hair back down.

The man laughed.

"It's a brothers job to tease his sister," he said.

Asami rolled her eyes and pouted and it took Izuna a moment to comprehend what he'd overheard. Asami…was a Senju? He turned away, feeling a sense of betrayal and denial inside him. He found himself in the training field, attacking a post with ferocity.

"What'd that post ever do to you?"

Izuna stopped and turned to see Yuri looking at him with raised eyebrows.

"What's wrong?" Yuri asked.

Izuna gritted his teeth and began to attack the post again. He heard Yuri sigh.

"I guess you found out she's a Senju," he said, causing Izuna to freeze and turn to him angrily.

"You knew?" He demanded.

Yuri nodded and Izuna felt rage at his friend splutter inside him.

"You didn't tell me?"

Yuri shrugged.

"I don't see what the big deal is, personally," he said, eying Izuna, who looked at his friend with disbelief.

"You don't see the big deal? She's a  _Senju!"_

"And you're an Uchiha," Yuri said.

"That's the point!" Izuna shouted.

Yuri gave him a stern look.

"Your problem, Izuna, is that you're stuck in the past," he said, his tone harsher than Izuna had ever heard it, his words reminiscent of Madara's words earlier. "Are you going to deny yourself a chance at real happiness over a name?"

"It's not just a name," Izuna said through gritted teeth.

"Then what?" Yuri said. "What is it? What are you so afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid!" Izuna hissed.

"Really? Because that's how you're acting," Yuri said, disgust in his face. "Do you really not see the children of our clans playing together? The friendships that are being formed now that will shape the future?"

Izuna clenched his jaw and Yuri shook his head.

"You're a stubborn fool, Izuna."

It was two days before he saw her again. He'd had a lot of time to think, but nothing was clear. He'd been busy with the festival preparations. She was standing alongside her brother. Her face brightened when she saw him.

"Izuna!" She called out, dragging her brother over to him.

Izuna froze and swallowed.

"Hi, Asami," he said weakly.

"Are you okay?" She asked with a frown.

He nodded, but he lied. He wasn't okay at all. He didn't know how to react or feel to this.

"This is my brother, Takuma," Asami introduced him. "Taku, this is Izuna."

Izuna and Takuma stared at one another.

"We've met," Takuma said after a moment, holding out his hand to Izuna.

Asami frowned and looked between them. Izuna stood still until he felt the boring eyes of Asami on him and he shook Takuma's hand stiffly.

"Nice to meet you when we're not trying to kill each other," Takuma said after a moment of tense silence.

Izuna gave a curt nod.

"Asami, you didn't tell me you were spending time with the brother of Madara Uchiha," Takuma said, looking at his sister.

Asami looked surprised.

"I didn't know that," she said.

Izuna swallowed and shrugged.

"I didn't know I was spending time with a Senju."

Asami's breath caught.

"Is that a problem?" She asked quietly, looking at Izuna. "Because I knew you were an Uchiha from the moment I saw you."

Izuna looked between Asami and her brother. She was looking at him, questioning, hoping, determined. Izuna closed his eyes and took a breath. He opened his eyes and gave Asami a little smile, his mind made up.

"If it's you, it doesn't matter."

Asami smiled and tentatively took his hand. He flinched at the contact but didn't let go. Takuma cleared his throat.

"I'll be going now," he said, awkwardly leaving.

Asami and Izuna watched him go, aware that there were a lot of eyes on them, and whispering behind hands.

"Want to show me around the festival?" Asami asked.

Izuna could only nod and felt himself smile when Asami smiled at him. His heart still thumping in his chest, reminding him that whatever it was between them wasn't going to be affected by their names.


	23. Part Seven: Dark

 

**Part Seven: Dark**

**Chapter 19**

Itachi let the words wash over him in stillness and silence. He wasn't sure he'd heard her right.

Sakura… loved him?

He stared at her without understanding or comprehension.

"I guess that's a lot," she laughed nervously in the silence. "You know I just - I just wanted to tell you, I guess," she rambled.

Sakura loved him is what he was beginning to understand. It was a completely unexpected thing for him to hear and for her to say. But what about…

"Izumi," he breathed out.

Sakura froze, and Itachi swallowed. He hadn't meant to say that out loud. She'd just come into his head at that moment. Sakura looked away and gave another nervous laugh.

"I guess that's about right," she said. She gave him a falsely bright smile. "You don't have to worry about what I said. Like I said, I just wanted you to know. I understand about Izumi, so don't worry about me at all, it's hard to forget the people you love."

She cleared her throat and Itachi shook his head.

"Sakura, you misunderstand me." She sniffed and looked at him again. "You surprised me," he said. "I didn't expect you to tell me you love me."

Sakura swallowed and gave a shrug.

"I didn't expect to feel it," she said quietly, looking at the water again.

Itachi felt his body tingle, now that he wasn't in shock anymore. Sakura  _loved_  him. Sakura, whom he'd realised a while ago that he had feelings for, she returned them. Sakura who made him feel whole in ways he hadn't felt for years. Who knew what to say, how to reach him, who saw him, all his good and all his bad. He smiled at how uncertain and nervous and shy she was in front of her. A welling of feeling flowered in his chest.

He moved to her, standing half-naked in the waist deep water. She looked up at him in surprise.

"What are you doing?" She breathed.

He moved closer, lowering himself to her, placing his hands on either side of her, leaning his face and body down over her. She stared back up at him, her green eyes wide and watchful.

"Sakura," he whispered. Their noses were so close they were almost touching. "You make me feel _alive."_

She didn't move and barely breathed. He smiled at her and brought his lips to her and kissed her tenderly, softly.

He pulled back.

"What does that mean?" She asked, her voice trembling.

Itachi moved his hand and brought his fingers back to her forehead.

"I love you, too."

* * *

It had been four days since anyone had seen or heard anything from Sakura or Itachi and Madara felt a deep sense of unease and restlessness. He was not blind, he could see that something had happened between the two of them after the night of the party. Now that the festival was over, the Shimura and Sarutobi clans were settling into the village, and Hashirama was entering negotiations with the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi, Madara had a little more time to himself than usual.

Izuna, he saw, was looking more relaxed as the days passed, which eased some of his worries. But Madara was finding it difficult not to think about Sakura. He didn't know when it had happened to him, but he'd never found himself more attracted to another person before. He'd never even considered marriage before he'd met her.

He did the only thing he could think of - although he was certain that he would come to regret it later - he went to Matsuri, feeling completely ridiculous and embarrassed about it.

Matsuri opened the door, Kagami in her arms, took one look at him and sighed.

"Come in," she said tiredly. "When did I become everyone's problem person?" She muttered.

Madara raised an eyebrow but she just waved her hand dismissively.

"Let me guess, you're here to talk about Sakura?"

Madara clenched his teeth and nodded. Matsuri looked at him.

"Well?" She asked. "Talk."

Madara huffed and stayed quiet. He didn't know how to begin, or even if he wanted to. Actually putting his thoughts and questions into words made him feel like a petulant child. Matsuri poked him.

"Listen, Apples, I'm not a mind-reader. You want my help, you need to tell me what's happening."

Madara glared at her.

"I told you never to call me that."

Matsuri shrugged.

"And I told you that you're not the boss of me."

"I am your clan leader," Madara said firmly. "That is exactly what that means." Matsuri rolled her eyes. "And how dare you tell Sakura that story," Madara said, suddenly reminded of it.

Matsuri looked at him in confusion and then giggled.

"I didn't tell her the story. All I said was that if she wanted you to do something you didn't want to, she should threaten you with 'the apples,'" Matsuri revealed.

Madara stared at her and then sighed deeply, but he was relieved.

"Madara, just tell me what's bothering you," Matsuri said. "Or I can't help you."

Madara twisted his mouth and then relented.

"What's the relationship between Sakura and Itachi?" He asked eventually.

"Why?"

Madara shot her a look.

"Because I'd like to know."

"Why?" Matsuri asked again.

Madara grit his teeth.

"Because," he said with a struggle, "I've come to care about Sakura."

"In what way?" Madara glared hard at her and Matsuri grinned. "Okay, okay, I get it." Then she sighed and looked at Kagami. "I never expected you to care so much you'd come to me," she said after a moment.

"Nor did I," Madara muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Matsuri's lips twitch.

"I'm glad that you did, though."

Madara frowned at her.

"Suri, stop stalling," he said impatiently.

Matsuri gave him a pained look.

"Fine, but you should just prepare yourself and expect nothing," she said. "Tell her how you feel. Be serious and sincere, and let her respond to you."

Madara looked at her for a moment and then released a breath, feeling a weight settle on his shoulders. He turned his face away.

"Is that so?" He asked.

"Madara," Matsuri's voice was low. "I don't know what's happened since I last saw her, but I know that there's something between them. I'm sorry."

Madara stood and walked to the door.

"Suri," he said quietly, turning back to her. She looked at him expectantly. "Thank-you."

She was surprised but gave him a smile.

"Come by sometime to play with Kagami," she said. "I want him to know you."

Madara glanced down at the boy in her arms and nodded.

"Sometime, perhaps when he can walk," he said and

Matsuri rolled her eyes.

"Men," she muttered.

Then he left.

* * *

"You are so completely, irritatingly useless," Tobirama snapped at his brother.

Hashirama's head had been in the clouds since Mito left, and he'd spent way too much time daydreaming about their wedding and life together. His paperwork was in piles around his desk, everything was a mess. For a man as organised as Tobirama, it was grating on his nerves.

Hashirama looked at his brother with a goofy, apologetic grin.

"Sorry, Tobi," he said, not meaning it at all.

Tobirama sighed and leaned back on his chair, and rubbed his face with his hands.

"You need to get your head out of the clouds. I have better things to do than babysit you," Tobirama said tiredly.

"But I'm just too happy to work," Hashirama complained.

Tobirama glowered at him.

"If you don't work hard, Mito will not marry you," he threatened. "I'll write her a letter every day about your work ethic."

Hashirama paled.

"You wouldn't."

"Yes I would," Tobirama said seriously. He pointed a the stack of paper. "If these are not out of here by the time I come back, the first letter will be out and in Whirlpool before the moon is highest."

Hashirama immediately pulled three papers to him and got to work. Tobirama kept his gleeful, victorious smile inside and kept a stern gaze on his brother for three minutes before he left the office. He ran into Madara outside the building, who was staring up at the bare cliffside, his arms folded over his chest, his brown creased in a frown.

"You know, Hashirama wants the face of the Hokage's to be carved on that," Madara said as Tobirama stopped beside him.

"One of his more ostentatious ideas," Tobirama murmured.

"I think the size of his head on the mountain will finally match the size of his ego," Madara said with some mirth, but there was an emptiness to it that Tobirama hadn't heard before.

Tobirama glanced at Madara with a frown.

"Did something happen?" He asked.

Madara looked at him in surprise.

"Why do you ask?"

"You don't seem yourself," Tobirama replied.

"Because I'm usually so full of life and laughter?" Madara asked sarcastically.

"You usually don't joke so much," Tobirama said dryly. "I prefer your silence and brooding."

"Coming from you? How amusing a statement," Madara said flatly.

They fell into an easy silence. Tobirama sensed that something was bothering Madara, but he clearly didn't want to talk about it.

"Have you heard from Itachi or Sakura?" Tobirama asked. "I wanted to ask about the hospital."

A dark look crossed Madara's face.

"I have not," he said.

So the problem was most likely those two, Tobirama realised. After Madara's unexpected declaration that he had a woman in mind for marriage had obviously caused some friction. Then he frowned.

"No one has seen or heard from them since the festival."

Madara grunted in response. Tobirama sighed.

"I'm taking a break. Hashirama is finally doing his work."

"Good," Madara said, still staring at the cliff. "I'll review the papers from the Nara and company."

Tobirama nodded and Madara walked swiftly indoors, leaving the younger Senju outside a little confused and concerned and wondering at just when he became friendly with Madara Uchiha.

* * *

Sakura's hands ached. She sighed and put her pen and ink down, she leaned back on the couch and rubbed her face with her hands.

"You have ink on your face." Itachi's amused voice came from across the room in the doorway to the kitchen.

Sakura looked at her hands and groaned. Smudged ink. He gave her a smile and she blushed shyly.

"I'll get a towel," he said.

Sakura bit her bottom lip happily. Since the day in the spring, the confessions, the light kiss, they'd become something different, something that made her chest warm and her heart flutter. For reasons that made her blush furiously, Itachi had moved their futons to opposite sides of the room and pulled the sliding, separating their sleeping quarters. He hadn't explained himself, but the implication was clear and it made Sakura's toes curl as she laid in bed and listened to the sound of Itachi breathing.

Itachi came back into the living room and handed her a damp cloth.

"Um, where is it?" She asked.

Itachi touched his cheek, and Sakura put the cloth to her own.

"Gone?" She asked.

He shook his head and touched his chin. Sakura wiped her chin.

"Now?"

Itachi looked her over, walked to her and took the cloth from her. Sakura tilted her chin up a little and Itachi put one hand on her face, cradling her cheek and Sakura felt her cheeks heat up under his featherlight touch. His eyes were focused and she watched him as he rubbed away the ink on her face, feeling his breath lightly brush her skin.

"Better?" She asked, grinning slightly.

Itachi pulled back an inspected her.

"Better," he replied. He glanced at the half-written scrolls on the table. "You've done a lot."

She sighed.

"Yeah. It's important. I want to get as much out of my head as I can."

Itachi nodded.

"It's been four days since we left the house," he said, looking at the door with a little longing.

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek and fought back a smile.

"Missing the outside world?" She asked.

"I'm concerned about Madara," Itachi said, glancing at her.

Sakura frowned.

"If anything happened, someone would come to get us."

Itachi looked at her.

"You're right."

"This is important work too," Sakura said.

Truthfully, she just wanted to spend more time with Itachi, alone in their little house in the woods, and pretend that all the outside world and all their burdens and pressures were gone.

"Take a break," Itachi said. "We should train."

"Trading one type of work for another is your idea of a break?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.

Itachi chuckled.

"Don't be lazy." He walked to the door. "If you can find me, I'll cook dinner."

Sakura grinned and Itachi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Let the games begin."

* * *

Itachi wasn't going to let Sakura find him, no matter how much he liked her. He wasn't going to put his pride as a shinobi aside, and plus, she needed the training. So he, in a manner that he was sure Kakashi would be proud of, propped himself on a tree branch, obscured from sight, leaned back against the trunk and closed his eyes. His shadow clones would distract her for a while until he was bored enough to come out.

Now alone, Itachi allowed himself to think about the situation at hand. Every day that passed, after their moment together in the spring, something deeper had begun to grow between them that he'd never experienced before. But something darker lurked in the corners of his mind, and with the absence of Sakura beside him as he slept, dreams of Izumi haunted him. It was part of the reason he was keeping his distance from Sakura still. They hadn't kissed since the day in the spring, but Sakura didn't seem bothered - yet - so her tried to slowly get closer to her. But whenever he did, whenever he lost focus for a moment, he saw Izumi in his head. He knew it was because the threat of the Shimura loomed over him.

He felt one of his shadow clones disappear and smiled slightly at the memories of Sakura it brought back. His smile dropped quickly when thoughts of Sakura, Izumi, and Danzo merged. It made him angry, so angry when he thought back to their shared past when Sakura had been used by Tsunade to bring the village and Uchiha together. Even though Danzo would've been a fool to make a move against her, it didn't mean that he wouldn't have done if he had the right opportunity. He didn't want to bring Sakura into another mess like that. Danzo was something he was going to have to fix himself this time.

Quicker than he thought, his second shadow clone disappeared. She was getting better but finding his real body wasn't going to happen. He needed his distance from her to make up his mind about what he was going to do. Things were easier to decide when he was angry and upset when he let his emotions get the better of him. That was why it was so easy for the Uchiha to fall to their darker impulses. It was hard to stay on a path that would keep you on the path of what was right, instead of what you wanted. And what Itachi wanted was Danzo gone.

* * *

He should have known that spending so much time away without contact would mean that the founders would get suspicious, and with the personality of a man like Tobirama, he should have guessed it would be him that came to find out what was happening.

Itachi felt him coming. Tobirama was good at suppressing his chakra, but he couldn't mask it all completely. Or maybe he could, and he just didn't. Itachi stifled a sigh. He'd snuck out of the house when Sakura had fallen asleep, tired after sparring with him after he'd come out to get her when she failed to find him, and begun his reconnaissance on the Shimura.

Itachi's chakra control was almost as good as Sakura's, and he could completely mask his chakra. The fact that Tobirama had sensed him meant his skill as a sensor was bordering on close to impossibly good. The Senju appeared beside him, arms crossed over his chest, staring at the house that Itachi was surveying. Both men were shrouded in the darkness of the trees and the moonless night.

After a few more minutes of watching, Tobirama indicated Itachi to follow him, and Itachi reluctantly did. They sped through the trees to the village, jumping over the roofs of the buildings, towards the newly built Hokage office. Itachi felt irritation rise in his throat the closer they came to the building. Tobirama and Itachi jumped from the roof to the ground and swiftly walked through the doors, heading in a familiar direction towards the office of the Hokage.

Tobirama opened the door to reveal Hashirama and Madara. Hashirama seated in his chair, and Madara standing beside him. Tobirama shut the door behind him.

"What were you doing at the home of Yori Shimura?" Hashirama asked after a moment of silence.

Itachi looked at him but didn't reply. His eyes moved to Madara. He had told Hashirama about Itachi's mother. It was clearly an ill-fated and emotionally charged decision to reveal that about himself.

Itachi looked around the room. It was dark, lit by two lanterns that illuminated only the desk around Hashirama. Itachi could have laughed at how much he felt like some criminal being brought in for a tribunal.

"Itachi," Hashirama said tiredly. "Please."

Itachi looked at him again.

"Making a decision," he said.

"You told Madara that Yori's son killed your mother," Hashirama said.

 _"Murdered_ my mother," Itachi said in a hard voice. "Like he murdered many other Uchiha to steal their eyes for his own gain."

He looked at Madara as he spoke and Madara's face darkened at his words.

"Explain," Hashirama demanded. "No matter where you came from, you are still a shinobi of Konoha, are you not?"

Itachi gave a curt nod.

"Then answer your Hokage."

Itachi had never seen Hashirama act more like a Hokage than he had at that moment.

"I do not know what the youth of Danzo Shimura was like. I can only tell you this: his loyalty to Konoha warped his view on how to protect and serve the village. He used his friendship and past to manipulate the Hokage, and acted against the orders of the Hokage in the manner he thought best. He saw the Uchiha as a threat to the village, and he treated us like it."

"What did you mean he stole Uchiha eyes?" Madara asked in a low voice.

"He sent his agents against myself and my cousin Shisui several times in an attempt to take our eyes and implant them on his body."

Hashirama and Madara both flinched at the words.

"He murdered my…" Itachi swallowed angrily. "He murdered my girlfriend in retaliation for not carrying out his orders and dumped her body for me to find. Her eyes were gouged out."

There was a heavy silence in the room.

"What were your orders?" Tobirama asked him.

Itachi shook his head. He wasn't going to tell them. He wouldn't say those words out loud.

"Danzo Shimura grew into a man dangerous to the Leaf in ways that none of you can imagine," Itachi said instead. "He can't be allowed to do that."

"Danzo Shimura is three years old," Hashirama said, eyeing Itachi carefully. "What do you intend to do to a child?

Itachi looked into Hashirama's eyes, unblinking and serious.

"Whatever is necessary."

The air around the four of them became tense. Itachi couldn't tell what Madara was thinking, but he felt the disapproval from Tobirama rolling off him. Hashirama began to slowly release his chakra. Killing intent rose off him and Itachi, despite himself, felt a little fear creep into his veins.

"The dream that was this village has been achieved, and I will not let anyone stand in the way of that." He stood. "I will do everything to protect it. If anyone dares to disturb the harmony of Konoha, no matter who the person, no matter the object, even my own children and precious people…" He turned his sharp eyes on Itachi, who met them directly. "I will not hesitate to strike that person down."

The pair stared at each other for a moment. Itachi heard the threat and promise in his words, but it did not quell the unease in his own heart. If Itachi acted against the Shimura, or the Shimura acted against the Uchiha, now or in the future, Hashirama would have no mercy or hesitation. Itachi clenched his jaw. Hashirama's overwhelming presence was slowly becoming suffocating.

Madara placed a hand on Hashirama's shoulder, and the Hokage drew back his chakra and intent.

"Was the situation between the village and our clan made worse by my actions?" Madara asked.

Itachi thought a moment.

"There is no one person or action or event that can take the blame. As much as you contributed, Tobirama's prejudice and the policies her introduced also played a large part of it, as did our own clan's narrow views."

Hashirama looked at his brother, who stared hard ahead in thought.

"Do not forget, Itachi," Hashirama said in a voice slightly less hard than earlier, "that the history of your life, our lives, has already changed from what you knew."

Itachi's wrist twitched as he fought not to clench his fist. Hashirama caught the action and gave a faint smile.

"Your burdens are heavy enough. Let us fight the battles that need fighting here."

"I will not allow the future you lived in to repeat itself," Madara swore.

Itachi turned on his heel, his feelings at war with himself. It had been some time since he'd thought of it since he'd had to think about it, but Itachi was a shinobi of the Leaf and his Hokage was giving him an order to stand down. Yet his entire body was shaking with the need to dispose of the threat.

"Itachi," Tobirama called and he stopped at the doorway. Itachi turned his head to look at him. "Don't force us into a position none of us want to be in."

"Then make sure I don't need too," he said.

Itachi disappeared into the darkness of the night, feeling a sense of conflicting relief and need to rid himself of the pain he felt.

He silently entered the house, slipped back into his futon and laid on his back, after a long time, finally drifting into an uneasy sleep.

_He opened his eyes and he was standing on the dock at the lake in Konoha. The sun was shining, and there was a soft breeze. This wasn't the usual scene of his dreams that Izumi was in, yet there she stood, facing out to the lake with her hair blowing in the wind._

_Hesitantly, Itachi walked forwards. His footsteps creaking the wood of the dock beneath him. He stopped behind her, afraid that she would turn around and he would see what he always saw. Blood, dark holes where her eyes should be, death._

_"I'm glad you finally made it."_

_Her voice was sweet and light, just like he remembered. Not the hollow, despair-filled Izumi he'd been seeing in his head since that day._ _With a hammering heart, Itachi watched wordlessly as she slowly turned around to face him._

_She was smiling. Her eyes were there, bright and clear and happy to see him._ _Itachi felt himself choke up. She was just like she was the last time he saw her. He realised with a jolt that his dream-self had reverted to the same age as her too._

_"Izumi," he breathed, tears filling his eyes._

_She gave him a soft smile._

_"It's been a while."_

_He swallowed and looked around._

_"Where are we? How is this happening? This is just a dream."_

_Izumi nodded._

_"Of course it's a dream, but it's still real. It just took you a long time to get here."_

_"What does that mean?" Itachi asked her._

_She just kept smiling. She held up her hand. She carried a brown paper bag._

_"Want to share some dango?"_

_He nodded and they sat on the edge of the dock together. She opened the bag and handed him a stick._

_"I always liked the way your eyes lit up when you got to eat dango," she giggled._

_Itachi felt himself blush._

_"It's my favourite."_

_"I know," she said. "So what took you so long?" She asked. "I've been waiting."_

_Itachi frowned._

_"I don't understand."_

_Izumi sighed. She poked his temple._

_"All that brain and you still can't figure it out." She teased. "We were supposed to meet, remember? I guess things didn't go as planned."_

_Itachi flinched, remembering._

_"You were dead," he whispered._

_Izumi grimaced._

_"Yeah. That wasn't a very good day. Sorry."_

_He stared at her with disbelief. She leaned back on the dock and sighed, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back._

_"It's a nice day."_

_Itachi shook his head._

_"Izumi, why are you here?"_

_"This is the last time we can be together, Itachi."_

_Izumi looked at him sadly. She pushed herself up stood, holding out a hand to him._

_"We don't have much time left."_

_"Why?"_

_Itachi took her hand and stood. Izumi didn't let go of his hand._

_"I have some things to say before I go. Promise you'll listen to me?"_

_"Always," Itachi breathed._

_"You made me really happy, Itachi." She smiled at him and he felt like part of him was breaking. "I was really looking forward to being with you. To having a family, being your wife, the mother of your children." She squeezed his hand. "Things don't always work out the way we want them too though. But it's okay." Itachi began to shake his head in denial. "It's okay, Itachi. I don't blame you," she breathed._

_Itachi felt a ball of pain tighten in his chest._

_"I don't blame you, Itachi. It wasn't your fault."_

_She looked at him seriously, her eyes honest and he swallowed._

_"I do," he replied quietly._

_Izumi let his hand go and hugged him. Itachi was stunned, and then he hugged her back._

_"Well, then you're just a fool," she sniffed. "It wasn't your fault Itachi. You need to accept that because you have someone waiting for you."_

_She stepped back and Itachi was suddenly staring down at her._

_He was back in his normal-sized body, and Izumi was still just a girl._

_She smiled at him._

_"You do, don't you?"_

_Itachi gave her a little smile._

_"Her name is Sakura," he said quietly._

_Izumi put her hand on his heart._

_"She's in here now." She looked up at him. "Just promise to keep a little piece of me there too, okay?"_

_She stepped back. The sun was setting behind her, casting a warm glow about her._

_Itachi nodded._

_"_ _Izumi. Thank you."_

_She beamed at him._

_"No, Itachi. Thank you, for loving me and letting me go."_

_The sun set. Darkness fell in Itachi's dream world and Izumi was gone. He looked up, and saw stars scattered across the usually empty sky, and smiled._

"Itachi? Are you okay? Itachi?"

Itachi blinked and realised he was crying and that Sakura was hovering above him, her face tight with worry.

"Itachi?"

He slowly lifted his hand to his eyes and wiped away the tears.

"I'm okay," Itachi said slowly, looking at her and sitting up. She sat back to give him room. "I'm okay."

He felt the truth of those words. His dream hung over him, settling warmth in his chest where there had been conflict before.

"Are you sure?" Sakura looked worried.

He reached out a hand and caressed her cheek.

"Yes," he said. He drew her face to his and pressed his forehead against hers. "As long as I have you, I'm okay."

* * *

Sakura opened the door to see Madara standing there. She blinked in surprise.

"Hello," she said.

"Good morning," he greeted her. "Would you care to walk with me?"

Sakura blinked in surprise again. It had been almost two weeks since the last time she'd seen him, or any of them. She'd been busy filling her scrolls with everything she could think of that might help shape a better future.

Madara appearing at the door was not how she expected the morning to start.

"Walk?" She replied dumbly.

Madara raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, yes. Walk. Okay. Just give me a few minutes," Sakura said.

"I shall wait here."

She nodded and closed the door. Itachi walked out of the bedroom, giving her a questioning look.

"Madara wants me to walk with him," she said.

"Walk?" Itachi asked with confusion and surprise.

Sakura nodded, biting her lip nervously.

"He wouldn't come if it wasn't important," Itachi said to her. He walked over to her and spoke quietly. "It's been two weeks and we haven't heard anything from Zetsu. Be careful."

She nodded and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'll see you later."

Sakura quickly collected her gear, brushed her hair and headed out to Madara, who had been leaning against the side of the house, waiting for her.

Madara took in her appearance - training clothes, weapons strapped and packed - without a word.

"It's been a while since I've seen you," Sakura said, a little nervously. "How are you?"

"You've been locked away in your house," Madara replied. "You have missed a lot in the village."

"I've been busy," Sakura defended herself.

"Clearly." Madara indicated downwards. "You're hands are stained."

Sakura looked at her hands and frowned. They were stained at the fingertips with black ink.

"What were you writing?"

Sakura sighed.

"Hopefully something that will never have to be read." She looked at Madara. "So how is the village?"

"Good," Madara replied. "Hashirama is due to return any moment from the Fire Daimyo, officially instated as Hokage."

"Oh," Sakura said with some surprise. "I hadn't realised he was gone. Why didn't you go with him?"

"I did," Madara replied. "I returned a day early."

Sakura nodded slowly.

"Any particular reason?"

Madara  _hmph'd._

"The Daimyo is a fool who knows nothing and politics are irritating." Sakura held back a laugh. "Hashirama is more than capable of dealing with those people," Madara muttered with some irritability.

"I see," Sakura chuckled.

Madara gave her a glance.

"He's also preparing for his wedding."

"What?" Sakura froze, much to Madara's amusement. "Seriously?"

Madara gave a chuckle.

"I told you; there are a lot of things that you've missed."

Sakura grinned.

"I'm so happy though. That's great news. It is with Mito, right?"

Madara nodded.

"Yes."

"Oh, good." Sakura let out a breath of relief. _One step closer to Tsunade,_ she thought.

They walked on quietly through the forest, side-by-side. Sakura realised that she had missed Madara, as strange as that was. After seeing him again after two weeks, she understood he had become an important person to her. She honestly never expected that, but the last five months in her new life had changed her. She wanted to protect him and his dream.

"Anything else I should know?" Sakura asked lightly.

"Izuna met a Senju woman he's taken a liking too," Madara said after a moment.

"That's surprising," Sakura replied after a moment.

"For him as well, I believe," Madara said.

Sakura laughed.

"So where are we going?"

"Nowhere in particular," Madara replied.

"Just walking?" She asked with a slight frown.

"And talking," Madara said.

She glanced up at him.

"Talking? You?" She laughed at his unimpressed expression. "Madara, is something wrong?" He stopped and sighed, rubbing his forehead with his hand. "Madara?" Sakura said tentatively.

"I am not good with words," he said lowly. "I do not want to repeat myself, so please listen."

Sakura swallowed and nodded. He looked at her with a slightly pained expression.

"I… have come to feel for you," he said.

Sakura felt her heart thump in her chest.

"When I close my eyes, I see you. Your strength, your life. These feelings are more than I expected or wanted."

Sakura froze and remained quiet, almost afraid to breathe as she listened to him.

"I do not know the relationship between you and Itachi, but I have to tell you this. I - I want you to be by my side. I meant what I said, at the party before the festival. You are the only woman I can imagine spending my life with." He swallowed. "That - that is all."

Sakura stared at him, deeply moved, almost to tears. The depth and feeling of his words were far more than she'd ever imagined they could be.

"Madara, I - " she cut off, not knowing what to say, how not to hurt him. "I'm sorry," she said weakly.

His mouth twitched, but he didn't seem surprised by her statement.

"I," she swallowed. "I don't want to hurt you. You're a very important person to me. Somehow you just - " she put her hand on her chest, over her heart, "- you carved a piece of yourself here. You'll always be here. But, I-I love Itachi."

Tears fell from her eyes. She closed them and took a shaking breath, pain, and sorrow in her lungs and chest. She was surprised when she felt Madara's hand on her face, his thumb wiping away her tears.

"Allow me this," he breathed. "Allow me one concession."

She gave a little nod and remained still. He leaned his face down to hers, and in a way she didn't know he was capable of, softly pressed his lips to hers. He lingered there for a moment, and then, reluctantly pulled away. He gave her an almost smile, but his eyes were pained, and then he disappeared from her view and Sakura stood in the forest alone, staring at the place he had just been.

"Let's go home, Sakura."

Itachi's voice came from behind her, surprising her. Soft, gentle. She turned into him, her face in his chest and silently cried, overwhelmed by her emotions. She let him lead her home.

Itachi pulled apart the bedroom and moved their futons together again, and allowed her to rest her head on his chest that night as they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Sakura was woken by Itachi suddenly sitting up during the night.

"What is it?" She asked tiredly. "Another nightmare?"

"I just had a bad feeling," Itachi said.

Sakura sat up and frowned, and suddenly, she felt it too. They met each other's eyes, something had happened, and it wasn't good.

There was a pounding on the door, and Itachi shot out of bed, collected his weapons, and cautiously walked to the door.

"Sakura? Itachi?"

It was Izuna. Sakura hurried out as Itachi opened the door.

Izuna looked frantic, and he was followed by a tired and strained-looking Tobirama and Hashirama. Sakura lit the lantern in the room.

"What happened?" Itachi demanded.

"It's Madara," Izuna said. "He's missing."

"Are you certain?" Itachi asked.

"Yes," Izuna snapped. "I know my brother."

"Madara would never disappear without a word," Hashirama said worriedly.

Sakura felt her blood freeze. She looked at Tobirama who gave her a tight nod.

"I sensed it. It wasn't hiding." He suddenly froze and looked behind him. "Someone is coming."

Itachi peered into the darkness before he disappeared and reappeared within a second. Sakura gasped at what she saw in his arms.

"Tenji!" She cried.

Tenji looked at her, giving her a tired smile.

"Hey there, Sakura."

She went to his side, pushing past the Senju brothers.

"I tried to give you some more time," he wheezed. "Thanks for coming to get me, Dango," he said to Itachi, who was looking at him seriously.

Itachi looked up at Sakura.

"He's hurt."

Sakura felt tears well up in her eyes, her hands glowed green over the wound in the man's abdomen. It was bad. He'd lost too much blood.

"What are you doing here, Tenji?" Sakura asked him.

"Listen to me carefully," Tenji wheezed and coughed.

Spittles of blood came out of his mouth.

Sakura shook her head.

"No, Tenji, I can save you. Stop talking."

She felt his weathered old hand on her arm.

"No, Sakura. Save your strength. Listen to me."

"Tenji, what happened?" Itachi asked.

"I tried to give you more time," he said again. "I had it. Zetsu."

Sakura's eyes widened.

"What?" She whispered.

"A temporary seal," he coughed. "But it was weak. I've had him for nearly a month. Yesterday, he got away."

"Zetsu is here," Itachi said.

Tenji nodded.

"It's time, Dango, Sakura. He's coming."

Sakura felt his life slipping and cried.

"No, Tenji! Don't."

Tenji gave her a smile.

"It's time for me too," he rasped. "Be good, you two."

The glow from Sakura's hands faded into nothing as Tenji died in Itachi's arms. She saw Itachi's fists tighten on the old man's robes. They looked at each other with determination, this was it. It was happening.

Zetsu was here.

Sakura looked at the other three.

"Prepare yourselves," she said to them. "We need to save Madara."


	24. Part Seven: Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i break my own heart. i really do. im sorry! im so sorry!

 

**Part Seven: Dark  
** **Chapter 20**

Itachi carried Tenji's body from the floor of the living room into the bedroom, placing him carefully on the floor of the room, and folded Tenji's hands together over his abdomen. He gave the man a brief glance before he turned away. Tenji had known all along why they were in this time. He'd allowed them to keep their secrets, while he'd apparently formed a plan of his own. A month, he'd said. Tenji had somehow kept Zetsu sealed and contained for a month. It explained everything that had been bothering Itachi for weeks.

Now, Zetsu would know that his plans were in jeopardy. He would come for them now and he would be ruthless, and Itachi hoped, reckless. With another glance at Tenji and a mental thank-you, he walked back into the room where Sakura stood, wiping the tears from her eyes. He looked at the three men who hadn't moved or said a word since Tenji had died. Sakura sobbed quietly. Hashirama was looking at her like his own heart was breaking for her. Izuna seemed a little lost, and Tobirama's mind seemed to be flying through a hundred different scenarios and options.

Itachi walked over to Sakura and hugged her. She mumbled a thank you. He kept his arm around her shoulders for a moment longer before Tobirama broke the silence between them all.

"What is Zetsu?" He asked with a frown. "It's time to explain everything."

Sakura nodded.

"Yes," she sniffed.

She glanced at Itachi who nodded and allowed her to explain. She was the one that had the most contact with him during the war.

"Zetsu is the manifestation of Kaguya's will."

"And Kaguya is who?"

"The mother of chakra," she replied. At their blank looks, she explained. "Kaguya was the mother of the Sage of Six Paths and his brother. Zetsu wants to bring her back, that's his goal."

They looked at her in disbelief.

"The Sage of Six Paths." Hashirama shook his head. "This is unbelievable."

"What do you mean 'will?'" Tobirama asked frowning.

"He is not human," Itachi said. "He is a manifestation. A thing. Pure darkness and evil, his only goal is to revive his mother."

Izuna shook his head.

"How could he be alive after so long?"

"We don't know the extent of his power," Sakura said.

Itachi's eyes flickered to Hashirama.

"He'll want you too," he said, surprising Hashirama. "Madara is the only one who can awaken the Rinnegan, he needs you to do it."

"Why me?" Hashirama asked in confusion. "You've only mentioned Madara before now."

"The Rinnegan?" Izuna breathed, staring at Itachi. "Impossible."

Itachi sighed impatiently.

"Hashirama and Madara are reincarnations of the sons of the Sage of Six Paths. There really isn't time to explain this in detail."

"The reincarnations carry the chakra of the Sage of Six Paths," Sakura explained, far more patiently than Itachi could. "The Rinnegan can only be achieved by uniting their chakra." She looked at Hashirama. "It is probable that Zetsu will try to take part of you, your cells, your blood or flesh, and fuse them with Madara."

Hashirama swallowed in disgust and nodded.

"He needs Madara alive. The Rinnegan didn't form immediately in our time. It took years before Madara developed it, even with your cells. Zetsu will keep Madara alive," Itachi told them. "But he will control Madara, and Madara will most likely be unable to break it."

"Zetsu is powerful," Sakura said with a shudder. "A disgusting, creepy, black entity that can absorb chakra and take over people's bodies. He could do a lot of damage using Madara's power."

"And this is only the first step in his plans." Itachi glanced at Sakura. "We need to stop him now."

She gave a grave nod in agreement.

"What do we need to do?" Tobirama asked.

Itachi was glad he was there, a pragmatic man who could take and deliver orders.

"Secure the village. Only the three of you and us can take on Zetsu. We will need your help. Tobirama, we'll need you to sense out where Madara is. Hashirama and Izuna, follow and back us up. Sakura and I have the only way that we can permanently seal Zetsu."

"You can't kill it?" Hashirama asked with a frown.

"No. We don't have that power," Itachi said with some annoyance.

"How did you get rid of it in your time?" Tobirama asked. "The same way you will now?"

"No," Sakura answered. "In our time, Zetsu succeeded. Madara became the ten-tails and Kaguya was reborn."

There was silence as they digested what she said.

"The reincarnates of our time were aided by the Sage of Six Paths himself." There was a shock amongst the three of them. "But we don't have that luxury. We don't have the tailed beasts chakra, so we can't rely on the Sage of Six Paths helping us. We need you to be there. Can we count on you?"

Izuna nodded, determined.

"I will save my brother."

"You've sworn to defend this village and save Madara," Hashirama said seriously. He glanced at Itachi. "No one will ever hurt my people while I'm here."

Itachi nodded, knowing firsthand the resolve Hashirama had.

"Don't tell anyone the truth. Say that Madara is in pursuit of the enemy. We need to protect him and sort the details later. Prepare yourselves. Meet us here when you are ready."

They left with nods and in puffs of smoke, and Itachi turned to Sakura.

"Are you ready?" He asked her.

She nodded, biting her now trembling lip.

"He killed Tenji."

Her fists clenched in pain and anger. She looked at him with steel in her eyes.

"I'm not going to let him do the same things here that he did to us."

Itachi gave her a short nod, then strode over to her and kissed her hard. She wrapped her arms around him, twisted her hands in his hair and kissed him back.

"I love you, Sakura," he murmured when they broke apart.

"And I love you," she said. "We're going to be okay. This is what we came here for."

He nodded and looked into her eyes, kissing her again.

"Let's prepare," he said.

She nodded and left, walking into the bedroom to get her things. He heard her whisper something to Tenji.

He stood in the living room and made a promise to himself. No matter what, Sakura was going to come out of this alive.

No one else he loved was going to die.

* * *

Tobirama roused Sasuke Sarutobi and his family by pounding on the door. He couldn't get the feeling of wrongness out of his body. That thing, Zetsu, that he sensed was as evil as Sakura and Itachi described. He could only faintly sense Madara's chakra, but it was muted as if something had hold of it.

Sasuke opened the door, his brows draw together in a tired scowl.

"Tobirama, what is it?"

"The village is under threat."

Sasuke immediately wiped his irritation and became alert.

"What do you need?"

"Hashirama and I are heading out to meet with Madara."

No need to tell anyone that Madara might inadvertently be the threat.

"He's pursuing the enemy," Tobirama explained. "Raise the alarm and coordinate the security of the citizens."

"What kind of threat?" Sasuke asked.

Tobirama clenched his jaw.

"Prepare for anything," he said after a moment.

Sasuke nodded and Tobirama disappeared, arriving in his room and changing into his battle gear. He quickly stripped the clothes he was wearing and replaced them with his newer clothes, tailored for him with stronger material and mesh. He strapped his legs, pulled on his sandals. He pulled on his blue armour and adjusted the fur collar before sliding his happuri onto his head. It was bare now, awaiting the engraving of the new village emblem.

Tobirama armed himself thoroughly and grimaced at the sight of his weapons trunk collecting dust. It had been a long time since he'd needed to go into it. When he was set, he walked down the hall to Hashirama's room.

Hashirama was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands, as Tobirama suspected he might be. He was dressed, his red plated armour over a similar black uniform to Tobirama. His head was wrapped in a white headband and his scroll rested onside the bed beside him.

"Hashi," Tobirama spoke quietly.

Only in moments of solitude did he ever use that name, moments like these when Hashirama needed a little gentleness that Tobirama wasn't often able to give. Hashirama looked up at him.

"We'll bring him back, won't we?"

Tobirama nodded.

"I don't think you'd fail even if you tried," Tobirama said. "But we have work to do before then. Get up, address your men. Don't tell them the truth," he reminded him.

Hashirama looked pained.

"I know it's necessary for this situation, but I don't like it."

"We don't have a choice unless you want to cause more trouble for Madara and in turn, the Uchiha. No one will understand or comprehend the truth. Tell them he's pursuing the enemy. We can figure out the details later, as Itachi said," Tobirama said.

Hashirama nodded. He stood, and strapped his scroll to his back.

"Come," he said. "Let's not waste any more time."

Tobirama huffed.

"The only one wasting time was you. Moping," he said with mock disgust. "Some Hokage you are."

Hashirama gave him a small grin.

"What would I do without you, little brother?"

"Fall in a hole and die, I'm sure."

* * *

Before a few weeks ago, Izuna would never have considered taking a detour before going to aide his brother. But now, things had changed. Before he prepared for battle, there was someone he needed to see.

Asami and her brother lived in a house on the main road of the village, a few minutes walk from the center of the village. He'd only been there to walk her home, but he remembered where it was, and knew that the front right window was the window of her room. He silently slipped through the window, took quick steps towards her futon and leaned down. Smiling a little at the sight of her sleeping. As if sensing another presence, she startled awake and almost screamed, but Izuna held a hand over her mouth and stared at her until she recognised him.

He withdrew his hand.

"Izuna, you frightened me," Asami breathed, sitting up. "What are you doing here?" She looked out the window. "It's not dawn yet."

"Sorry," he apologised. "The village is in danger. They'll be waking everyone soon."

Asami's eyes widened.

"What is it? What's happened?"

Izuna swallowed.

"My brother is in pursuit of a dangerous enemy," he said, spouting the lie Itachi told him, and hating himself for lying to her. He shook his head. "Listen carefully," he whispered. "Don't tell anyone else, this is top-secret. Something took Madara." Asami looked afraid. "I'm going to find him, and bring him back, okay?"

Asami gave a little nod.

"Madara's so powerful, what could've taken him? Someone from another country? Another clan?"

Izuna shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Asami. When it's over, I'll tell you everything. I have to go, I just wanted to see you before I left."

She swallowed and nodded. A bell tolled outside.

"Summons," she whispered.

Izuna nodded.

"Stay safe," he said.

Asami quickly pulled him into a hug, which Izuna returned.

"You better stay safe too," she whispered fiercely.

He gave her a grin.

"I'm always safe."

He hesitated and then laid his lips on hers. The first time he'd kissed her. He pulled back and they both grinned at each other. He heard footsteps coming towards her room and quickly jumped out the window, giving her one last look before he left. She gave him a small nod and he left, heading home.

Madara hadn't come home after he'd left in the morning. Izuna knew he'd spent the morning working while Hashirama was away, and afterwards, he didn't know where his brother had gone. He knew that Madara had spoken to Matsuri about Sakura, so maybe he'd finally gone to see her. If he did, he'd disappeared afterward, and Izuna knew that Sakura would never have been able to do something to his brother. So Zetsu must have found him instead.

It gave Izuna tremblings of anger at the thought of something controlling Madara, and he felt tendrils of fear at how strong this Zetsu must be to be able to do that. The animosity Sakura and Itachi had towards it was clear. This thing was a real threat. Izuna wasn't a sensor like Tobirama, but he knew his brothers' chakra like it was his own. He cast his senses out as much as he could as he got dressed. As he strapped on his sword, there was a knock on his door.

"Izuna."

It was Yuri.

"Come in."

Yuri entered, dressed in the same manner he was, in the traditional war garb of the Uchiha, except that Izuna had a blue overdress, and Yuri's was purple.

"What's going on?" Yuri asked.

"Keep this quiet," Izuna said, glancing at the door. Yuri shut it. "Madara's been taken. As far as anyone else knows, he's in pursuit of the enemy. I need you here. Coordinate our clan members with the village and secure it. I'm going after him with the Senju brothers, Sakura and Itachi."

Yuri nodded.

"Yes, sir." He left immediately.

Izuna took a deep breath and concentrated. Some instinct was telling him his brother wasn't that far. Then he felt it, the faintest touch of familiarity. Izuna snapped his eyes open. It was an effort for him not to rush immediately to where he felt it, but he needed to tell the others what he was doing first, unfortunate as that was. Izuna questioned how his relationship with Asami had somehow changed so much of his perspective. He pushed open his door and headed out to where he knew the Hokage would be assembling the soldiers before they headed back to Sakura's house.

His worry escalated the more time passed. Madara was the only brother and family he had left. He wasn't going to lose his brother to this thing that Sakura and Itachi had been waiting for. Clearly, there was a lot he had been left out of, but he didn't care. He just needed to save his brother.

Izuna used the rooftops in the village to reach the roof of Hokage Tower. There was a crowd of shinobi growing below in the streets, all of them hurrying to the same place he went.

Hashirama and Tobirama stood on the roof of the tower, drawing the attention of everyone below. He went directly to them.

"Izuna," Hashirama greeted him seriously.

"I'm going to the Naka Shrine," Izuna told them. "I think he's in that direction."

Tobirama frowned and then nodded.

"As do I."

Izuna nodded at the pair of them.

"I'll find you again if I don't find him."

"You shouldn't go alone," Hashirama said with a frown.

"We don't have a choice," Izuna said, harsher than he meant it to be. "I'm going after my brother."

Tobirama nodded. There was a look of understanding between them, and Izuna knew he'd behave exactly the same way if it were Hashirama in Madara's place.

"Good luck," Tobirama said.

Izuna curled his lip.

"Don't insult me. I don't need luck." He smirked. "Not like you."

"Izuna," Hashirama looked at him. "Be careful. If Zetsu is there, get out immediately and go to the others. We don't know what we're dealing with."

Izuna gave them both hard looks and then nodded, and flickered out, Sharingan activated, towards the shrine.

* * *

Sakura forcibly kept her hand from shaking as she wrote her final message on the last scroll. Her just in case letter; just in case she died, just in case she couldn't say what she needed to.

She rolled it, sealed it, and put it on the stack of scrolls that she and Itachi had been writing for the last two weeks. She turned to see Itachi staring at her. He reminded her of the days before the war, when he was looked to as a leader. He, his father, Shisui. They all did enough during that war that they never ceased to amaze her with how powerful and how much strength they had. In Itachi's presence, she felt invincible. He radiated quiet confidence that she drank it in. Sakura met his gaze with equal determination and focus.

"You remember the plan?"

She nodded.

"We have to separate them before we show our hand, or Madara will be sealed as well." He took a deep breath. "And that is our last resort."

Sakura clenched her jaw, not wanting to think about having to do that.

"I can provoke him into giving up Madara. Don't worry about that."

Itachi nodded, glancing at the scrolls.

"I wrote something for Madara." She said when his gaze lingered, swallowed, looking away. "Just in case."

"If you go into this thinking you're going to die, you will," he said with a disapproving tone and a deep frown. "You've been in battle with Kaguya and defeated her."

"Naruto and Sasuke defeated her," she said. "I just helped."

"Nevertheless, you are Sakura Haruno," Itachi said, laying his hands on her shoulders. "You are the greatest medic in the five great nations. You are the strongest kunoichi. You punched the mother of chakra in the head and broke her horn." Sakura suppressed a grin at that, and Itachi smiled openly at her. "You're going to be fine."

"You know who you are too, right?" Sakura asked him.

Itachi quirked his eyebrow.

"I wonder?"

"You're Itachi Uchiha. You're the prodigy of the Uchiha family, your skills are unmatched." She could practically feel him deflating at her words and she smiled fondly at him. "But that's not what makes you strong." She laid a hand over his heart. "Here," she whispered. "This is what makes you strong."

They rested their foreheads against one another. A final moment between them before it was time to focus. Sakura could feel Hashirama and Tobirama approaching. Their chakras were barely masked, there wasn't the need now, the village was on alert. The amount of chakra they both possessed was incredible to her, she doubted they'd released even half of it.

"Let's go," Itachi breathed to her, stepping back. They gave each other a once-over, and Itachi turned and walked out the front door.

Sakura followed him and they met Tobirama and Hashirama on the path. They were intimidating figures in the early light of the morning. Their faces were serious and eyes focused.

"Where's Izuna?" She asked.

"Investigating the Naka Shrine," Hashirama replied.

"Alone?" Sakura asked, glancing at Itachi, whose jaw was clenched.

"Yes," Hashirama said.

She put her face in her hands.

"This is not good! He shouldn't have gone alone! If Zetsu is there…"

"Can you sense them?" Itachi asked Tobirama.

His jaw twitched and he nodded.

"I lost track of Izuna. There's a lot of activity in the village. But Madara… he's heading away from the village. We need to move."

Sakura felt her stomach clench and drop. Why had Izuna gone anywhere alone? That wasn't part of the plan. Her anger made her stand strong.

"Tobirama," Sakura turned on him fiercely. "Put a seal on my sleeve."

She held out her arm. He looked like he was going to argue, but didn't. He put his seal on her.

"Go to the village and find an Uchiha. Find Yuri. Tell him to go to the shrine. Now."

Tobirama looked at Hashirama who nodded. He disappeared.

Sakura turned to Hashirama.

"Let's go."

* * *

Izuna reached the entrance Naka Shrine and moved with caution. His body was tense and alert. He felt his brothers' chakra close by. Madara was here, inside the shrine, and so was something else. He walked through the entrance and inside the shrine. His eyes adjusted to the dim light quickly. The stone slab was pushed aside, revealing the stairs to the secret room below the shrine. That's where Madara was.

Izuna walked down the stairs, his heart pounding.

He stayed quiet and surveyed the room before leaving the darkness of the staircase.

"Madara," he said, upon seeing his brother standing before the tablet.

"Izuna." Madara's voice was strained and desperate. "Get out. Run."

He froze as Madara, stiffly, reluctantly, turned to face him. Izuna's face twisted in horror at what he saw. A black thing covered Madara's body, half his face was black. One eye covered and yellow-white and round.

"Zetsu," Izuna hissed in realisation.

A grating, disgusting chuckle came from Madara. The blackness that covered him changed forms, the place where Madara's mouth became a wide, wicked grin.

"So you finally came," Zetsu said.

"Izuna, run," Madara said again, his voice and eyes pleading.

"I'm not going to leave you, brother."

Izuna withdrew his sword, the warnings of Hashirama rang in his ears:  _we don't know what we're up against._

"Get off him," Izuna snarled at Zetsu.

"Insignificant creature. Do you think a sword can stop me? Pitiful boy," Zetsu mocked him.

Izuna bared his teeth and went to step forward, but found that he couldn't move. He looked down at his feet in horror, blackness surrounded them. His chakra was quickly bring drained as the same black thing that was covering Madara had taken a hold of him too. He watched, immobile, as it climbed its way up his body, rendering him frozen like his brother. This was what Zetsu could do.

"No!" Madara choked out.

"Silence, brats!" Zetsu snapped and laughed. "Finally," he said with satisfaction. "I won't fail, even if my plans have had to change."

"Sakura," Madara said through gritted teeth, struggling against the binding control of Zetsu, "and Itachi… will stop you."

Zetsu barked a laugh.

"Insects, brats. Fools who think to stop me," Zetsu mocked. "They are nothing."

Izuna watched in horror as both he and Madara's arms moved upwards towards their eyes and dreaded realisation sunk in.

"No," Izuna grunted, trying to force his arm to stop moving.

It kept going, and Zetsu continued his decrepit laugh. Madara and Izuna held each other's gaze.

"I can't stop it," Madara said. "Izuna, I'm sorry. My chakra."

"No. Madara. Don't apologise." Izuna stared at his brother, a fierce determination shining through his eyes. "This will give you power."

Izuna felt revulsion and pain as his own fingers reached into his eye socket and tore out his eye. He refused to cry out, as did Madara. They held their pride as blood dripped from their fingers and down their faces.

"Power," Izuna grunted. "That you can use to defeat this thing."

"No one in this world has enough power to stop me," Zetsu growled.

He moved the brothers forward and forced Izuna to implant his eye into Madara's empty socket. Madara hissed and blinked. Zetsu's form shifted to cover his eye and reveal the other.

The moment that Madara's was eye secured in a jar, Izuna understood what was about to happen. He wasn't going to live through this. Madara cried out in anguish a moment later, and Izuna knew that he figured it out as well.

"With this, incarnate of Indra, you will have the Eternal Mangekyo, one step closer to the Rinnegan," Zetsu said, a tone of victory in his voice.

Izuna felt a sense of resignation and acceptance run through him as his black covered fingers reached into his remaining eye socket and pulled out his eye. Blind, in pain, and with almost all his chakra drained, Izuna sunk to his knees.

"Brother, no! Izuna!"

Madara's cries cut through to Izuna's heart and he grimaced. Madara needed to survive this. He needed to kill this monster. Izuna felt Zetsu take his arm and hold his sword, drawing it back.

"Be strong, Madara," Izuna coughed. "Tell Asami I'm sorry."

"IZUNA!"

Helplessness washed over Izuna as he felt Zetsu control his arm and plunge his sword into his stomach. His mouth twisted with a pained smile.

"Protect…them…" Izuna gasped, as his arm, still controlled by Zetsu, withdrew the sword.

"IZUNA!" Madara's anguished scream echoed in the room.

Izuna felt Zetsu disappear from him and he collapsed back on to his heels. Warm blood poured from his wound.

"No one will stand in my way," Zetsu said.

"Madara," Izuna rasped.

There was so much he wanted to say, but he couldn't make his mouth move or his voice come out. He slumped sideways, falling on the ground.

_I believe in you, brother._

He faintly heard the cries of his brother, but the already black world faded deeper and darker into nothingness.

A final breath.

Izuna Uchiha was dead.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just...enjoy? i hope. or maybe cry? i'm not sure. i certainly had a pounding heart writing this. i actually also hate myself too. so don't worry, i feel the same way you do.. or will.. by the end of this... ahhhh!

 

**Part Seven: Dark**

**Chapter 21**

It was a strange thing, rejection. Madara had never experienced much of it before. In his life, he'd mostly been revered or feared by his clan, or by his enemies. Hashirama never rejected him, though he'd rejected Hashirama. Tobirama originally rejected him, but their relationship had changed in recent months.

This rejection was different. The feelings involved made it so. The Uchiha, contrary to popular belief, were not a cold or heartless clan. The bonds between them ran deep, their emotions were strong. Family meant everything to them. They loved fiercely and protectively, and that ruined them as often as it built them up. A curse, perhaps, the depth of their feeling. It certainly felt like that to Madara: a curse. It was made worse by the fact that he knew that Itachi felt exactly the same way he did, but Itachi's feelings were reciprocated and because of that, he'd never give up Sakura.

 _Sakura._  The thought of her name gave him pain. A stab through his chest. He still felt the softness of her lips, could taste the saltiness of her tears. How this had happened to him, he didn't know. When had he begun to feel for her? Likely from the moment she saved Izuna, even if he didn't know it. Wasn't that how these things started, without knowledge?

He had thought that getting his feelings out of his head and telling her might offer some relief. Whoever spouted that idea was a fool and a liar. Hearing her sincere, heartfelt apologies and seeing the tears in her eyes was enough to cause a strangling of his heart in his chest. After that kiss, he'd had to leave. It was too much. He'd wanted more once he'd had it. He'd gone to the river, where she'd healed Izuna. The crater she'd created with her foot was repaired. He sighed.

"Get a hold of yourself," he muttered to himself with irritation.

Sakura wasn't his and wouldn't be his. Madara was many things, but he was not the kind of man who would lower himself to the level of an adulterer. Sakura would come to him willingly, or she would not. She knew his feelings, the choice lay with her.

He leaned a hand against the trunk of the tree. There was a ridiculous saying that wars were waged for love. He had never believed it to be true. There were always sinister motivations for war, and love was rarely a sinister thing, but he knew that if Sakura were hurt in any way, at any time, he would destroy the responsible party and damn the consequences. Perhaps there was more to that saying after all.

He let out a soft grunt of frustration, disbelief, and annoyance. Was this truly how he was going to spend the days to come? In sentimental thought about the cause and effect of romantic love? He scoffed. This broken curse that Sakura told him of had obviously caused him to become somewhat weaker. Not that he really wanted to go back to the feeling and fullness of darker emotion, but the adjustment period to his new self was going to take some time.

He lingered by the river for the remainder of the afternoon. He didn't often blow off an entire afternoon of work, but he'd lost his motivation for it. One day wouldn't change much, and Hashirama didn't need him to welcome him back to the village. He had enough fans to shower him with attention. The sun stained the sky in hues of pink and orange and gray as it dropped lower in the sky. He'd been gone a long time, and if he missed dinner without a word, Izuna would worry.

Halfway to the village, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He stopped walking, his senses alerted to danger. His eyes darted from side to side, scanning the trees, shifting from black to red and black. If he were any other man, he might have hidden in the trees and watched for the approaching chakra signature. But Madara was not another man. He stayed in place, watching the path for the man slowly making his way towards him in his red and black vision.

An elderly man. White kimono. Black tomoe along the collar. Walking stick. Madara narrowed his eyes. Something was off about him, the way he walked. Stilted, like he was hurt or someone was moving him. Madara's vision was obscured by something he couldn't discern and his guard rose.

"Stop your advance," Madara ordered when they were less than 10 meters apart. "Who are you?"

The man gave him a weak smile. He was older than Madara realised. His white hair was thin, his cheeks gaunt, his eyes dull. Something was very wrong with him. Suddenly the strange darkness on the body of the man disappeared.

"Young Uchiha," the man rasped. "I'm sorry." Madara frowned. "It appears I've failed my attempts to help them."

"Help who?"

"Sakura and Dango, of course," the man said.

Madara startled. Sakura, he understood, but …

"Dango?"

The man scrunched his nose.

"Itachi. You are Madara, yes?" With Madara's hesitant nod, the man sighed tiredly. "I am Tenji. Years and years I've lived, and never once have I failed as spectacularly as I have now."

"What do you speak of?" Madara asked with a flash of annoyance.

"Listen carefully." Tenji's eyes became serious. "It's here. The thing they hunt. It's come for you."

Madara's eyes widened.

"I can see the Will of Indra has broken in you." Tenji gave a small smile but shook his head. "Be wary. Do not listen - "

Tenji was cut off by a black fist protruding through his stomach. Blood dripped from his mouth.

"Enough, old man."

A black figure formed behind the man. It was grotesque to Madara's eyes. Humanoid with round yellow eyes, a nothing in the sight of his Sharingan. The fist withdrew from Tenji, as Madara watched with a confused and fascinated horror.

Madara's Sharingan suddenly flickered out and he gasped, falling to his knees with a sudden massive loss of chakra.

"Find…your….inner…strength…" Tenji coughed, looking at Madara. "Trust…them…"

His hand glowed green and the black thing laughed as Madara watched in horror as the black thing spread over his skin and covered him. His struggle was useless, and he was rendered completely immobile.

"What is this? Who are you?" Madara demanded.

"It's useless, old man," the blackness mocked. "You're going to die. Why fight it?"

To Madara's surprise, Tenji smiled and wiped away the blood at his mouth. His wound was almost, but not quite, fully healed. His healing skill was on par with Sakura, perhaps it exceeded her, Madara thought with some astonishment.

"You're right, Zetsu," he said. "But I have one more thing to do first."

"Pah," Zetsu scoffed.

Madara winced as his chakra underwent another massive and sudden drain.

"I have what I came for. That ignorant fool you follow so blindly is powerless now."

Madara felt the blackness of Zetsu climb his body and cover half his face.

"You will not succeed," Tenji said with a rasp. He looked at Madara, who stared back at him. "Son of Indra, Madara Uchiha. Believe in them."

Tenji made a hand sign and disappeared.

Madara stood rigid and alone in the forest. The wind blew around him.

"The meddling of the Sage will not deter me," the Zetsu hissed. "I just need your eyes and your body, Uchiha brat."

"For what?" Madara hissed in reply.

Zetsu laughed and a foul feeling of dread fell over the forest around them. Madara felt himself and Zetsu sink into the ground. Zetsu's voice echoed in his head.

"For a better world."

* * *

Time felt like it had been on pause for Madara. The next time he felt fresh, cool air on his skin, night had fallen.

"Whatever it is you're trying to do, you will not succeed," Madara growled at Zetsu, who remained covering him and controlling his movements and chakra.

"The world you live in is one of my own creation. I cannot fail," Zetsu replied.

Madara's free eye looked around and he realised they were at the Naka Shrine. What business did Zetsu have here?

"You are not the creator of this world," Madara said with disdain.

"Oh, but I am," Zetsu said, moving Madara through the grass to the stone path into the shrine. "I have shaped fortunes and misfortunes of shinobi since I was born."

"You're nothing," Madara hissed, loathing each step he took into the shrine.

His body revulsed at the feeling of Zetsu on his skin. The wrongness of him made his stomach churn. Zetsu laughed at his feeble struggle and at his words.

"That's where you're wrong, Madara Uchiha."

"What are we doing here?" Madara tried a different tactic.

He pushed back the stone and Madara was forced to walk down the stairs into the room below. Madara and Zetsu stood before the Stone Tablet. He remembered Sakura telling him that the tablet would be a conversation for another time. There was something about the tablet that he knew wasn't right.

" _Seeking stability, one god was divided into yin and yang, these opposing two acting together obtain all things in creation,_ " Zetsu quoted. "You've disappointed me, Madara. You've become weak."

Madara bristled under his words. He was not weak, and he never was.

"You let the son of Asura convince you that you were partners, equals. You are not," Zetsu growled. "You were never supposed to be. You are opposites, and this world can only be balanced with the two of you working together as such."

Madara remained silent.

"All you once wanted was to save your clan," Zetsu said. "Is that not the case now? Are you happy to give your clan up to a Senju, to oppression?"

Madara clenched his jaw and smirked.

"You think you know me," he said. "But you know nothing about me."

"You've been swayed by a pretty girl," Zetsu spat. "Pathetic. I'll have to dispose of her to make you see the truth."

Madara grit his teeth.

"If you touch her, I'll destroy you."

"Ah," Zetsu said, something in his voice changed. "Good. Your brother is here."

Panic flooded Madara. Izuna's footsteps echoed in the empty temple above, and down the stone stairs toward him. Zetsu continued his steady drain of Madara's chakra and sweat appeared on his brow.

Izuna needed to get out. Izuna needed to get away.

He didn't leave.

Izuna wouldn't leave his brother. He couldn't. Not now.

He was dead.

Madara felt his soul break, and Zetsu laughed.

* * *

Tobirama couldn't sense Izuna.

He had told the others that he had simply lost him in the chaos of the village, but it wasn't true. He'd felt Izuna's chakra diminish rapidly, and then he'd felt it disappear.

Izuna was dead. He was certain that Itachi knew it as well. Itachi was like him, focused ahead on the importance of what needed to be done. Tobirama didn't have time to waste with finding Izuna or Yuri as Sakura ordered him. He had a growing sense of dread about what was going to happen. But he couldn't allow anyone to go to the shrine alone to end up the same way Izuna had. So he found Yuri Uchiha. He'd had some contact with him over the last few months, but not a lot. All he knew was that the man was a trusted friend of Madara and Izuna, and the husband of the woman Sakura saved.

When he was certain there was no one in the vicinity, he entered the shrine with Yuri, discovering a secret room under it, where the body of Izuna Uchiha lay.

"I have to tell the others," Tobirama murmured. He lay a hand on Yuri's shoulder. "I am sorry."

With the confirmation of the man's death, Tobirama left Yuri there alone, with orders to do what he needed and to get back to the village.

Tobirama's appearance briefly stopped the pursuers.

"He's dead."

Sakura looked at him with horror and Hashirama with pain.

"And his eyes?" Itachi asked stone-faced.

"Gone."

"For the Eternal Mangeyko," Itachi replied, his eyes turning hard. "Be on guard, Hashirama."

Sakura's blinked away tears and turned back to Itachi.

"We have to hurry and end this," she said, her voice trembling.

Tobirama and his brother shared a look. Their world was at stake. Not only their village but if all that Itachi and Sakura had told them was true, the world could fall at the mercy of the feet of Zetsu and Madara.

They weren't going to let that happen.

Tobirama sensed Madara and Zetsu slowing ahead.

"We're catching up," he said.

Itachi nodded and they took off in pursuit again, more urgent than ever.

* * *

"We're heading towards the Valley of the End," Itachi said to Sakura.

"I know," she replied.

It was fitting, she thought, considering the history of the place in her time. Considering it was where Naruto and Sasuke had their first true confrontation. Where massive statues of Hashirama and Madara stood, poised for battle.

"There is no such place known as that," Tobirama said.

"Not yet," Sakura muttered, not looking at him.

The Senju brothers remained quiet as they followed. Sakura felt their presence behind her and it gave her little comfort. Hashirama was a target, Madara was a captive, Izuna was dead. She felt enormous pressure fall on her shoulders, but she knew that she couldn't afford to feel hopeless or helpless. Instead, she thought about Naruto and Sasuke. Their courage and confidence, their reckless pursuit of their dreams and ambitions, the way they never let anyone else stand in their way. They were the new generation of the Legendary Sannin, surpassing their masters, defeating a goddess.

She felt her resolve harden as she imagined them beside her. Naruto, with his broad and confident grin. Believing in her implicitly, giving her a thumbs up. Sasuke, silent but there, just giving her a look questioning why she was being so annoying - obviously she wouldn't be here if she couldn't do it. It almost made her smile, if not for the heaviness of the atmosphere around her. But it comforted her to be reminded that she was here, in this time, for a reason.

Indra and Asura had chosen her, her and Itachi, because they knew she was capable. They both were. She felt the belief of her teammates. For the first time, she was the one that was being relied on for something greater than herself. For something that usually would be taken over by Naruto or Sasuke. Now, it was her turn to step up and take on the world. She closed her eyes for a moment and saw the crinkle-eyed smile of their sensei. It was easy to imagine him being proud of her, of him standing beside her and telling her to focus and make sure Itachi doesn't do something stupid. She felt the belief of all her friends. Of Team 7, Yamato and Sai. Of Ino, Shikamaru, TenTen, Hinata, Lee…everyone.

She wasn't going to let them down. They'd never let her down - they never had. She was going to do this for them, to give them a chance at life again. And she was going to do this for her new friends, teammates. These great people from the past that now made up her present. People who had snuck their way into her broken heart and repaired it.

Itachi. Madara. Hashirama. Tobirama. Matsuri. Kagami. Yuri.

Izuna.

The thought of them gave her strength and courage. She pushed on, as she always did, determined and ready for battle. Nothing and no one was going to stand in her way.

They continued to travel together in silence until Tobirama announced that Madara had stopped. They approached the coming tree-line with caution, all four of them taking a position in the shadows to assess where Madara was and the surroundings.

"His chakra is dangerously low," Tobirama muttered.

Sakura peered at Madara from the tree-line and her heart clenched at the sight of Zetsu possessing him like he had Obito. Half of Madara's body was covered and black. They stood on top of a lake and Sakura realised this was what the Valley of the End was like before the battle. No waterfall, just a lake.

"There's no point in hiding."

Zetsu's voice came across the water. Sakura shuddered at the sound of it.

"Come out, come out." He mocked them.

Sakura and Itachi walked out of the shadows together, side by side, followed by Hashirama and Tobirama. The half of Madara's face that was uncovered was taut with pain and Sakura felt her gut twist at the sight of it.

"Madara," Hashirama said. "Are you well?"

Madara just stared at him.

"Do I look it?"

"Not really," Hashirama replied evenly and seriously.

Sakura and Itachi caught eyes and he nodded.

 _So it begins_ , Sakura thought.

"You should release Madara," Itachi called to Zetsu. "Before you regret it."

"Regret it? I don't think so," Zetsu replied.

"Really? Because I do," Sakura said. "Because I've seen your future, Zetsu, and it's all failure."

Zetsu laughed.

"Foolish kunoichi, you know nothing."

Sakura grinned wickedly.

"I think I do. I know some things about you Zetsu." She walked forward on the water. "I know your dreams. I know your goals. Your ambitions."

"Is that so?" Zetsu asked.

"I don't lie, Zetsu, but you do," Sakura said. "But I know the truth. Want me to share it?"

"Go ahead," Zetsu sneered.

Sakura stopped walking.

"It sounds like you don't believe me," she feigned hurt.

She looked at Madara. She could see him more clearly now. He was pale. His hands were covered in blood, there was dried blood under his eye. She understood what had happened. Izuna. Zetsu had taken Izuna's eyes for him.

"Madara, I'm so sorry," she breathed, her heartbreaking.

He didn't speak, he just looked at her, his eye black and empty. She saw the pain on his face and she grit her teeth at the sight of it.

"You're going to pay for everything you've done Zetsu," she spat. "Just like before. You'll pay for what you've done."

"Who are you?" Zetsu growled.

"I'm Sakura Haruno," she said. "I'm the girl who punched your mother in the head."

Zetsu stayed quiet.

"I'm the one who was there when Kaguya was revived and then we sealed her ass back away."

The air between them all turned cold.

"Lies," Zetsu spat.

"You fail," she hissed. "Everything you work for, everything you've done, has been for nothing."

Malice rolled off Zetsu.

"Who are you, insolent girl?"

Sakura smirked and Itachi stepped forward beside her.

"I've seen Indra and Asura. The cycle of hatred is broken. Madara can't be your tool anymore, and you will never see Kaguya revived, not this time."

Zetsu hissed.

"The Sage of Six Paths did this."

Sakura shook her head.

"Wrong, Zetsu.  _Indra_  did this."

That seemed to provoke him into losing his temper as Sakura hoped. Zetsu needed Indra's reincarnates to play on his side. If Indra was involved with her appearance, with someone saying that she was involved with Kaguya, even if he didn't believe it, it was a risk.

"I will not fail!" He screamed.

Sakura and Itachi jumped back when Madara's hands suddenly moved. Hashirama gasped, gripping the back of Sakura's shirt and pulling her back.

"A summoning justu," Tobirama hissed.

Itachi cursed.

"Sakura, it's - "

Sakura felt her body tense as a familiar and devastating chakra filled the area.

"The Nine-Tails," Hashirama glowered.

The monstrous roar filled the night and Sakura flinched away from it, her hands covered her ears. The water rocked and rolled with the force of his arrival but it was suddenly calmed and she knew that Madara had used his Sharingan to control him.

"Sakura, we have to separate them!" Itachi yelled.

"I know!" She screamed back over the next roar of the Nine-Tails.

This was not the Nine-Tails that Naruto had befriended, this was a tailed-beast filled with hatred and anger and rage.

"Hashirama! You're the only one capable of taking on the Nine-Tails," Itachi said to him.

Hashirama nodded.

"All of you, stay back."

"No!" Sakura came and stood beside him. "You need to get me close to them."

Tobirama looked at her like she was crazy, but Hashirama saw her eyes and nodded. She was grateful that he was on her side, that he trusted her. She looked up at the head of the Nine-Tails, where Zetsu and Madara stood, her eyes narrowed on the black form. Beside her, Itachi gripped her shoulder and the world around her exploded in red.

Itachi formed his Susanoo and Sakura was lifted into its height with Tobirama and Itachi. Below, Hashirama stood his ground against the imposing enemies in a way Sakura had only seen Naruto do before. Within moments, the once calm lake had become a battleground of turbulent water and the great and power of shinobi who were considered gods among all others in the era. The red Susanoo of Itachi, the giant wooden summons of Hashirama and the Nine-Tails. The battle began.

"Sakura, we have to hurry and get Madara out of this," Itachi said to her. "The longer this goes on, the more likely it will end in failure."

"I know, I know."

Itachi's Susanoo launched itself into the air.

"Tobirama," Itachi said to him.

"I have to go and help my brother," Tobirama muttered.

"Do what you can, be ready for Sakura when the time comes," Itachi said.

Tobirama nodded and disappeared, appearing beside his brother. Several tails attempted to whip Sakura and Itachi from the sky, but his Susanoo blocked them, but they were forced away.

"Wait for an opening," Itachi warned her, he saw how jittery Sakura was becoming. "Don't rush."

Sakura clenched her teeth and held back her anxiety. She needed to get to Madara before it was too late.

The Nine-Tails formed a tailed-beast bomb and Sakura widened her eyes in panic, but then she saw Tobirama and Hashirama move. She saw Tobirama flash in and out of existence, and then the great dark bomb flashed out of existence before an explosion happened moments later, kilometers away from them. Tobirama flashed back, landing beside Hashirama.

Wood shot out at the Nine-tails again, and Sakura saw her chance. Zetsu was occupied with the attack from in front of him, and the force of the fight below had thrown several broken rocks and branches into the air.

She caught Itachi's eye.

"I'll be there to back you up," he said.

She gave him a short nod and then jumped out and down, straight towards Zetsu. Never in her entire life did Sakura think she would be flying through the air at the Nine-Tails on purpose, but here she was. She knew that they would sense her before she reached them, but that was the plan. She gathered her chakra in her fist. Madara and Zetsu looked up. Zetsu with irritation, Madara pale and wide-eyed. She snarled at Zetsu.

"CHAAA!" She cried, narrowly missing as they dodged her and instead colliding with the ground, creating a massive crater in her wake. Dust and stone flew in the air around her.

"ZETSU!" She screamed. "YOU'RE A FAILURE. YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO WIN."

The dust around her settled. Tobirama and Hashirama appeared at her side, standing protectively with her inside the center of the crater. Madara and Zetsu were on the ground, removed from the nine-tails, who was standing behind them.

"You might have strength, brat, but you're nothing but a weapon I've forged from history," Zetsu spat at her.

"Sakura," Madara muttered.

He was struggling against Zetsu's control.

"Madara! Fight!" She cried at him.

She turned her attention back to Zetsu.

"I am _not_ nothing," she hissed. "I am Sakura Haruno. I'm the student of the Legendary Copy-nin Kakashi Hatake and the apprentice of the Fifth Hokage. I am the greatest medical ninja in the world and the strongest kunoichi! You are a petulant child who cries out for his mother and will  _never_  get her back."

Fury radiated from Zetsu.

The Nine-Tails swiped at them, and Sakura was pulled away by Tobirama, while Hashirama stopped the attack with his wood jutsu.

"You can fight him, Madara!" She called out to him, a distance away. "He's a coward! Too afraid to fight on his own, he has to use others to do it for him!"

"Sakura, what are you doing?" Tobirama hissed at her.

She shot a glare at him.

"Shut up, I'm doing my job!" She snapped.

"I am going to destroy you!" Zetsu growled.

And everything fell into place and then fell apart. Zetsu released Madara and disappeared into the ground. Madara collapsed and the nine-tails broke free.

"Hashirama!" She cried out to him, and he understood immediately and began his attack on the enraged Nine-Tails, who tried to kill Madara.

"Get Madara!" She yelled to Tobirama, who appeared beside the Uchiha and then flickered away.

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise and Zetsu was suddenly on her. She choked as his black hand wrapped around her neck and her chakra was slowly drained from her body.

"You're going to be a good meal," he sneered at her.

Sakura held back her panic in favour of determination. Her eyes flickered upwards and she saw Itachi coming for her.

"So will you," she choked out.

Itachi's Susanoo drew the sword from its sake jar. The Totsuka Sword. The sword of sealing. It came towards them. Sakura gripped Zetsu's arm as the molten blade pierced him. A feeling of panic surged over Zetsu.

"No," he grunted. "No!"

But it was too late. He was being pulled into the sword. Into a world of genjutsu where all his dreams would come true and he wouldn't be able to threaten the world again.

But so was Sakura. She tried to get his grip off her but he held tight.

"If I'm going, so are you," he hissed.

"SAKURA!"

She heard Itachi scream her name. She was going to be sealed away with him. A sense of acceptance flooded her. She did what she needed to do, and she would be there with him to make sure Zetsu never got away again. It was a strange sensation, the pulling. But then, all of a sudden, it stopped. She could breathe. She blinked and saw white.

Tobirama had saved her. She let out a breath of relief.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"No problem," he replied. "It's not over yet."

Sakura looked up to see Itachi's Susanoo joining Hashirama who was still engaged in battle with the Nine-Tails.

"We have to help them," she said.

Tobirama shook his head.

"If we don't get Madara out of here, he's going to die."

"Where is he?" She asked.

A great burst of wind blew by them, causing Sakura to hold her head and crouch from the force of it. She saw Madara a moment later. He was laying on the ground unconscious. She rushed over to him.

"Cover me," she said to Tobirama, who nodded, keeping an eye on the battle that raged behind them.

Sakura immediately activated her seal, allowing the black bands to spread over her body and cover Madara, transferring her chakra over to him. He was so low on chakra. It seemed that Zetsu had planned on keeping him subdued by keeping him as close to death as he could without actually killing him. Another thirty seconds passed before there was another burst of wind, like a hurricane that blew by them. After it was gone, she started panting at the expense of chakra she was using.

Tobirama cursed.

"Sakura, I'll be back!"

She could hear and feel the Nine-Tails creating another tailed-beast bomb, and she knew that he was going to deflect it somewhere else. She didn't reply, she needed to concentrate. Madara was almost out of danger, just a little more… and done. She let out a breath and drew her chakra and seal back.

She turned and saw that Itachi's Susanoo was gone and she panicked. Where was he? There was a massive release of chakra and Hashirama suddenly summoned the same giant wooden thing that she'd seen during the war. He was using his Sage Jutsu, and they were way closer than she thought. Sakura used her strength to pick up Madara. She needed to get him somewhere a little safer. But as if sensing her, she saw the Nine-Tails turn his attention to her. Everything happened quickly then.

She saw a giant, clawed paw come for her. She saw Hashirama's wooden round-giant summon grab the Nine-Tails, but the claw didn't stop. She wasn't going to get away from it, she threw Madara as hard as she could away from her.

It was as if everything happened in slow motion in the next second.

Itachi flickered in front of her, appearing suddenly, just as Tobirama appeared behind her. She caught Itachi's eyes, and they seemed relieved to see the Senju. She was flickered away, reaching out for him and she felt a slight pinch on her stomach.

And then he was gone with the swipe of the Nine-Tails paw.

Sakura looked at the empty space Itachi was and didn't understand.

"Itachi?" She breathed, uncaring about anything else in that moment. "ITACHI?!" She screamed.

_No, no, no, no, no._

"ITACHI! ITACHI! ITACHI!"

She struggled against Tobirama who was holding her and saying something unintelligible to her. She had to find him. Where was he?  _Where was Itachi_? She grabbed Tobirama's arm and pushed him away from her with force, taking off in a sprint into the forest. There was nothing else in her head now except Itachi. She didn't understand what just happened. She burst through the trees, searching for him in the direction she was sure he had to have gone until she found him.

Itachi had landed on his back and Sakura saw his body and the blood drained from her face.

"Itachi!" She cried.

She rushed over to him, her mind empty and panicked and she gripped hand tightly, skidding over next to him on her knees. Tears fell from Sakura's eyes as she looked at his prone, broken body. He opened his eyes and gazed up at her, a softness in his look and an upturn in his lips. She wanted to slap him, how could he look so peaceful when he was clearly dying.

"Don't cry, Sakura."

Itachi coughed and blood spluttered from his mouth. Flecks of red landed on her tear-streaked face, but she didn't move.

"You can't leave me, Itachi," she sobbed.

Her hands flickered green, but it was weak as she held it over his body. It did nothing. If only she hadn't used so much chakra before on that punch, and for Madara, it was more than she'd realised. She wasn't going to give up. She released her seal again, but winced at it, focusing hard on channeling her chakra into him.

"Sakura, it's not…going to…work," Itachi said.

She shook her head.

"No, it will." She sniffed, scrunching her eyes shut and gasping. "Itachi, _please."_

He reached a hand to her face and weakly tapped her forehead with his two fingers. She sobbed under his touch, feeling more fractured than she'd ever felt before. Her seal broke and rushed back. She was spent. Adrenaline pulsed through her and she knew it was the only thing keeping her upright in this moment. Black spots crossed her vision.

"Sakura, look at me," he coughed.

She did, through tear-filled eyes.

"I love you," he breathed through ragged breaths.

"I love you too," she sobbed. "I can't - you can't, Itachi, please don't…why did you do that?"

He almost laughed, but it was more of a cough than anything else.

"It was my…t-turn to save y-you."

"You idiot," she sniffed.

Sakura let out a sob and bent her head to his. Their lips touched. It was a wet and sticky kiss, filled with blood and tears. She pulled her head back and looked at the man she had fallen in love with, the one who'd always been there for her, who was dying in front of her and she couldn't save him as he'd saved her.

"I love you so much, Itachi," she whimpered.

"We saved… their future…" Itachi wheezed. "It's over."

Sakura nodded, crying.

"We did it. Zetsu's gone."

At her words, a look of peace crossed his face.

"Sakura," he breathed her name, and his voice spluttered into quiet.

His breathing stopped after a final heave of his lungs and Sakura stared at him. Her soul felt like it was being torn apart.

"Itachi," she whispered.

She laid her head on his chest, barely noticing the absence of a heartbeat. Her hand went to her stomach, and she pulled it away, seeing wet blood. She was hurt, she realised. She guessed the Nine-Tails didn't miss her after all. She closed her eyes and let her exhaustion and the pain of her wounds take her over. Together, they did it, and now they could die together too. She didn't want to be here without Itachi.

Sakura heard faint voices in the distance, but she could no longer answer them. In the coming light of dawn, Sakura closed her eyes for the last time, and the last thing she saw was the smiling faces of the ones she loved the most…

Itachi, Naruto, Kakashi, Sasuke.

Madara, Hashirama, Tobirama, Izuna.

Her boys.


	26. Part Seven: Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this final chapter before the epilogue, and the sequel in the Sacrifices Universe - Sacrifice and Surrender

 

**Part Seven: Dark  
** **Chapter 22**

Itachi watched Sakura with pride as she decimated the battlefield below him with a single fist. She was glorious in battle, and her determination was second to none. She would never let someone harm her loved ones, and he knew in his heart that Zetsu wasn't going to stand a chance against her. He was already agitated by her words and had become reckless from Tenji's interference and Madara's clear change of heart.

Everything was going according to plan.

He just needed to wait for the right moment. It was hard to do with the Nine-Tails. He'd calculated for the appearance of it, but he remembered the devastation it had caused when he was a child, and he had seen how powerful it was when tamed by a jinchuuriki. Things could easily go awry.

He kept careful watch over the situation, all the while keeping an eye on his chakra levels. The Susanoo used an enormous amount of it. He watched as Sakura screamed at Zetsu, provoking him into leaving Madara, and then he materialised the Totsuka sword and Yuta Mirror of his Susanoo. The weapons of his Susanoo were the endgame. If Indra and Asura hadn't believed that the two of them were capable of sealing away Zetsu without their assistance, the Otsutsuki brothers would never have let them leave that chakra plane without telling them what they needed to do. So Itachi had assumed they already had the necessary tools to seal him away.

He saw Zetsu take Sakura by the throat and Itachi sprang into action. With Zetsu distracted and enraged, it was easy for him to make his move unnoticed. His sword only had to touch its victim for it to work, but he wanted to make Zetsu hurt.

Panic surged through him when he saw that Sakura's eyes were wide and afraid. She couldn't get rid of Zetsu.

"SAKURA!"

He'd never felt his heart stop like that before.

But he saw Tobirama flash behind her and rip her away from Zetsu, who disappeared into the sake jar and he sheathed the sword, locking Zetsu away. He let out a breath of relief, Zetsu was gone. It was over, and Sakura was safe. Relief and tiredness flooded his system until he heard the roar of the Nine-Tails. Now that Sakura was safe, he could turn to the threat. One that he knew Hashirama could deal with, especially since he had gone into his impressive Sage Mode, but that he also could. Side by side he fought with Hashirama, beating back blow after blow from the Nine-Tails.

Another tailed-beast bomb formed, and before anyone could react, Tobirama had flashed it away again and it exploded in the distance.

Itachi watched as the Nine-Tails eye shifted and its attention caught something else. Something that made Itachi's heart stop. He saw it happen with his Sharingan. The giant front leg of the Nine-Tails moved up and then came crashing down.

All Itachi's instincts screamed at him to protect her. His Susanoo vanished as he flickered in front of her, ready to do whatever it took to get her away. Her eyes widened with shock and fear, her hand reached out to him. Tobirama flashed behind her and he felt that same relief before he felt everything and nothing all at once.

Pain, _so much pain._

He felt the claw of the Nine-Tails slice him open, he was almost surprised that he remained in one piece as he flew through the forest, hit a rock and rolled onto the ground, landing face up. He lay there, feeling strange and light, but also so deeply rooted to the ground. Detached. That was it, otherwise, he was sure he'd be screaming. He shakily managed to lift his hand from his stomach and look at it. He smiled faintly. That was a lot of blood.

He let his hand drop and coughed as blood spluttered from his mouth. Dying made it hard to breathe.

It was almost funny to him that in the second he'd decided to act on emotion and instinct alone, he'd made a fatal mistake. It would've been far easier to avoid this situation if he'd simply stopped the claw with his Susanoo. He supposed it would be amusing to Shisui to know that the cool, intellectual genius, Itachi Uchiha, died because of human emotion. He just wanted to protect her, Sakura, the woman he loved.

The world seemed to be getting darker, even though it was barely midday. He blinked. He just wanted to see her one last time. His Sakura.

He heard her scream his name. She came, she was there, she was alive. There was so much he wanted to thank her for, to tell her. But a feeling of peace was settling over him as he looked at her face and heard her tell him she loved him. He loved her too.

Their love wasn't a firework. It didn't come suddenly like a raging fire. No, their love was slow and building. It was smoldering passion and colour and warmth. It was the kind of love that Itachi had only heard about. He didn't really think it existed, but he was glad it did, and he was glad he felt it with her.

One last kiss. One last look at her pink hair, her green eyes, her beautiful, so, so beautiful face.

Itachi drifted into death at peace.

* * *

Tobirama found being a sensor a gift and a curse.

Today, it had been a curse.

He'd felt the life of Izuna Uchiha flicker out, and now he felt the life of Itachi Uchiha be cut off as well. Sakura's chakra was so low it was flickering between life and death. He cursed. Madara had just enough chakra thanks to Sakura that he was just out of danger of dying.

He watched with some awe as his brother fought the Nine-Tails. No one else in the world could hold their own against this tailed-beast. It was easy to forget, with all his ridiculous personality quirks, that his brother was the most powerful shinobi in the world. But he thought that Itachi might have rivaled him, even more than Madara. Not that he'd be able to find out since Itachi had just died. Tobirama was bitter, and he made a quick choice. Hashirama would be fine, his chakra was barely half-way spent. He flashed to Madara, placed a hand on him, then transported them both to the seal that he'd placed on Sakura.

He closed his eyes with sorrow at what he saw.

Itachi was sliced open by the claw of the Nine-Tails and blood poured out of him. His eyes were closed, and his face looked oddly at peace. Sakura was gripping his hand, her head lay on his chest, her hair wet with blood, her lips smeared with it.

She was still alive. Barely. He hurried over to her and with some regret, removed her from Itachi's corpse. He saw that her stomach was also cut open. She was going to bleed out. He cursed and reached into his pack.

Tobirama was many things, but unprepared was not one of them. He was not a skilled medic-nin, but he was Senju and had learned many skills. From his pack, he withdrew a seal that was only ever to be used in an emergency and placed it by Sakura's wound. The bleeding stopped and Tobirama used all his focus to produce the medical chakra and stitch together her wound. It wasn't much, but he managed to repair most of the bleeds and some internal damage. He needed a better-skilled healer to do the rest. He removed the seal and bleeding started again, but it was slower and less now. Quickly, he took out a bandage, lifted her shirt and packed and wrapped the wound. It would have to be enough.

He looked between the three bodies on the ground with a heavy heart. Whatever happened from here on out, it was going to be a long road to recovery. But it seemed that the threat Itachi and Sakura had been afraid of was gone, and Tobirama was thankful for that.

He stood when he realised the Nine-Tails suffocating chakra was retreating. He flashed to his brother, landing beside him on the head of his summons. The Nine-Tails roared as he disappeared.

"You defeated him?" Tobirama questioned his brother.

Hashirama nodded tiredly, the Sage marks fading from his face, and his summons disappeared with a poof. They both landed with little grace on a leafy branch that Hashirama created to catch them.

"Only just," he replied. "He's retreated because he knows I can subdue him. The Nine-Tails is a threat to the world. I don't doubt that he'll return for us one day, especially after today."

"Your wood style is the only thing that works against him," Tobirama said seriously as they both hopped down the tree towards the ground. "He'll be wary while you live."

"Where are the others?" Hashirama asked.

Tobirama closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking at his brother seriously and sadly.

Hashirama looked at him in horror.

"No, it can't be. Who?"

Tobirama placed a hand on his shoulder and they flashed to the place the others were.

"No, not Itachi," Hashirama said sadly.

"Sakura will die if we don't get her medical attention immediately," Tobirama said. "And Madara needs attention now."

"How?" Hashirama asked him, kneeling beside Itachi's body.

"Protecting Sakura," Tobirama answered, his voice thick with emotion.

Hashirama placed a hand over Itachi's heart.

Tobirama swallowed, feeling every bit as emotional as Hashirama was, but not allowing himself to show it.

"Hashi," he said quietly. "We have to get back to the village, now."

Hashirama nodded.

"Can you take us all?"

Tobirama swallowed. He'd never transported more than one other person before, but this wasn't the time for hesitation.

"Of course."

They flashed back into the village, on top of Hokage tower, surprising those who were gathered there.

Tobirama fell to his knees, panting at the strain of transporting five people.

"Lord Hokage, Lord Tobirama!"

"Lord Madara!"

Cries echoed around him, and Hashirama stepped up into his role as leader. Issuing orders for medics, the hospital and that the village can stand down. The threat was over, defeated. Tobirama was helped to his feet by Toka Senju.

"Are you all right?" She asked him.

He nodded, feeling sweat roll down his cheek.

"Fine. I just need a minute."

"I'll take you to the hospital," she said, concerned.

"No," he said adamantly. "I need to be here for Hashirama."

"No, Tobi. Go with Toka," Hashirama said, appearing beside him. "Have your chakra checked. Watch over them both."

Tobirama let out a deep breath and nodded. He could do that, he could watch over them, just as Sakura had watched over the village, just as Itachi had sacrificed his life. He wasn't going to let Sakura die now. There wasn't a chance in hell.

* * *

While Madara was in a chakra exhaustion coma, and without Izuna being alive anymore, the responsibilities of the Uchiha Clan fell on the shoulders of Yuri Uchiha, through the bloodline of his wife. Technically, it appeared that their son was the next heir after Izuna. Hashirama was certain that Yuri Uchiha would've preferred they handed off the responsibility to someone else, and plenty of the older males seemed slightly disgruntled by the sudden change in Yuri's status, even if it was only as a stand-in for an infant.

But Hashirama liked Yuri, and despite his obvious grief and the terrible circumstances, Yuri was a capable leader. He was thoughtful and concerned about his clan, but also had a deep respect for the village, which Hashirama liked.

Izuna Uchiha was given a funeral worthy of the heir of the Uchiha clan. With the absence of his brother, a heavier gloom over the clan, who were all in mourning over their loss. Izuna had been well-liked and well-known. He'd been a teacher to the children, a flirt and a joker to the women, and a respected warrior to the men.

Hashirama's heart broke for Asami Senju, who he learned had become very close with Izuna, becoming close enough to him for Izuna to be able to slowly set aside his hatred of the Senju clan. The Uchiha had a closed clan ceremony for his funeral, but Yuri persuaded them to hold a secondary ceremony for the village immediately following. Many of the Uchiha were surprised at how many villagers wanted to pay their respects.

Itachi's ceremony was smaller. Much because he was technically only adopted by the Uchiha family, although they didn't know the truth of his heritage. Both were buried in the Uchiha cemetery at the Naka Shrine.

Hashirama wasn't satisfied with just funerals for them, however. Izuna and Itachi had both died in the service of the village. They'd died heroes. He wanted, no, he needed something more to be done for them. But he could do nothing until Madara woke up, and Sakura.

Madara Uchiha didn't wake up for eleven days. His chakra depletion was severe, but the doctors thought that the trauma of his eyes was also keeping him asleep while he healed.

Hashirama practically slept in the room, and he was there when his friend awakened and shot out of his chair to Madara's side when he saw the man's eyes blink. Madara looked unfocused at the roof for a few moments before Hashirama saw him look directly at him. Madara took a deep breath and turned away.

"Why couldn't you just let me die," he murmured.

Hashirama looked at him.

"Would you have let me die?" He asked, equally quiet.

Madara didn't reply.

"They held a ceremony for Izuna four days ago," Hashirama told Madara, sitting back on his chair.

Madara stilled in the bed.

"Why wasn't I awakened for that?" He asked, anger trembling in his voice.

"Madara, you've been in a chakra exhaustion coma for eleven days. No one could wake you," Hashirama explained patiently.

"Sakura could have, where is she?" Madara turned to face him.

Hashirama clenched his teeth and looked at the ground.

"Hashirama. Where. Is. She?" There was a slight panic in his voice.

"She's alive," Hashirama said with a sigh. "But… she's also in a coma."

"She hasn't woken up?"

Hashirama shook his head.

"No. We don't know when she will." The unspoken word between them was:  _if_.

"Why?" Madara asked with a frown.

"She was badly wounded. Tobi did what he could, but after she'd had her chakra stolen by Zetsu, and then given almost everything else she had to keep you alive, she couldn't heal herself." Hashirama hesitated. "But they think the mental trauma is what will keep her under, given her history."

Madara's frown deepened.

"What trauma?" His eyes flickered to Hashirama's. "Where's Itachi?"

"The Nine-Tails tried to kill her, and Itachi took the blow. He didn't survive, and she couldn't save him."

There was a silence in the room between them. Madara turned to look at the ceiling again.

"Was he buried with Izuna?" He asked.

"Yes, the same day. At the Naka Shrine," Hashirama replied.

"Leave me be, Hashirama," Madara said quietly. "I'm tired."

Hashirama stood and looked at his friend, who had turned away. He didn't miss the tear that rolled down Madara's face. Hashirama left the room feeling weight on his shoulders like he never had before.

He reached Hokage Tower and sat heavily on his chair. A young Sarutobi boy had somehow ended up his assistant after following him around for the last week, like Hashirama was some kind of idol, helping out with strange tasks until Hashirama decided he couldn't get rid of him.

"Rei," he called out tiredly.

Rei walked in eagerly, but his disposition quickly adapted to the low mood Hashirama was in and he became serious.

"Yes, Lord Hokage?"

"Send a message to Yuri Uchiha, tell him Madara is awake."

Rei's eyes widened.

"Lord Madara is awake? Is Lady Sakura?"

Hashirama gave a small, sad shake of his head.

"Not yet, and if you see Tobi, tell him the news too."

Rei gave a nod and left quickly.

Finally alone in his office, Hashirama bowed his head until his forehead hit his desk and let out a great sigh. So many terrible things had happened in the last two weeks, but somehow he needed to keep pushing the village forwards. He stayed there for a moment, gathering strength until he heard the door open and felt Tobirama's presence.

"Hashi," Tobirama said.

Hashirama always liked it when he called him that. He didn't do it often enough.

"I received a reply from the Nara. They've agreed. They'll be here in two weeks with the other two clans."

"That's something good at least," Hashirama said, forcing himself to sit up.

"I also heard from the Inuzuka and Hatake."

Hashirama frowned.

"I don't know the Hatake."

"They're small, but their warriors are very skilled. They'll be a good addition."

"Good. Any word yet from the Hyuga or Aburame?"

Tobirama shook his head.

"No, but that's not surprising."

"No," Hashirama sighed. "They're stubborn in their nobility."

Tobirama scoffed.

"The Uchiha and Senju are also nobility. They're just far more snobbish than us."

Hashirama quirked his lips.

"You sound like Sakura."

Tobirama rubbed his forehead tiredly.

"She rubbed off on me."

"Any progress on the seals?" Hashirama asked hopefully.

He looked tired at the mention of them.

"We need to call an Uzumaki here," he said. "I need assistance."

"There's always a first time," Hashirama replied, almost cheekily.

"Ask Mito. Invite her to come here and have the wedding as well," Tobirama suggested. "As soon as possible is a good thing, isn't it?"

Hashirama blushed.

"If you insist," he said slowly, and Tobirama rolled his eyes.

"I'm going back to my research," he said, turning and leaving. "Don't bother me unless you're about to die."

"I know you love me even though you're so cruel!"

* * *

Once Hashirama had left and Madara was alone, he allowed several tears to fall from his eyes before he forced them to dry. He'd never been one for crying, and he didn't want to do it now.

Eleven days. He'd been unconscious for eleven days. Izuna had been dead for eleven days. He felt bile rise in his throat, and Madara vomited over the edge of the bed onto the floor. He wanted to rip his eyes out of his skull. He could still feel his fingers being forced into Izuna's sockets. Madara wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He felt disgusting in every sense of the word.

The door opened and a timid nurse came into the room.

"Ex-Excuse me, Lord Madara, do you need assistance?" She asked.

"Where is Sakura's room?" He asked. His throat felt dry and painful.

The girl frowned.

"Next door," she answered. "I'm sorry. You're not well, I'll get the doctor."

She quickly backed out of the room and closed the door. Madara sighed and sat up. He didn't want to be in bed any longer. He needed to see her, just to know she really was alive. A rush of dizziness caused his vision to flash white for a moment and he put his hand to his head. Sakura might not wake up. Her history of fainting Madara assumed that's what Hashirama had meant, since Itachi had implied it had happened before, in combination with her recent injuries and trauma. She was like him, he thought grimly. Helpless to save a loved one. She watched Itachi die like he watched Izuna.

The door opened.

"Lord Madara, I'm glad you're awake."

Madara looked up and saw a male he'd never seen before.

"I'm Madoka, your doctor."

Madara did not care at all who he was.

"I want to see Sakura," Madara said.

"Of course. First, we need to clean that," he said, motioning to the sick on the floor. "And check out how your body is doing."

"You didn't hear me," Madara said in a low and threatening voice. "I want to see Sakura."

He and Madoka stared at one another and finally, Madoka sighed, slightly aggravated.

"Fine, but as soon as you see her, we're doing our check-up."

Madara threw back the covers of the blanket and saw that he was wearing a short white kimono shirt and white pants. He scrunched his nose at them. He disliked the style and the glaring white. With a sigh he stood, and swallowed, standing a moment to test his balance before striding out of the room. Madoka led him to the door to the left. He opened it and Madara walked in alone.

Sakura lay on her back in the bed. The blankets covered up to just below her shoulders. Madara walked further in and saw that she looked like she was sleeping. Like she might wake up at any moment. When he saw the rise and fall of her chest, he felt a flush of relief so strong he almost fell over. He swallowed and walked out of the room quickly.

That was enough. That was enough.

Sakura was alive.

Itachi was dead.

Izuna was dead.

Madara clenched his teeth and fists as he walked back to his own room. He sat on the bed and allowed Madoka to do his check-up, answering monosyllabically until Matsuri arrived, holding Kagami. They stared at one another, and then Madara couldn't help it. He screamed at the doctor to get out. Matsuri stood calmly in the door, cradling Kagami in her arms until Madoka left with an irritated huff and Madara calmed down.

Kagami started to cry and Madara winced at the sound. Matsuri walked over to Madara and sat with him on the bed, shushing Kagami, who calmed immediately at the sound of his mothers soothing. Matsuri put one small arm around Madara's broad shoulders and Madara broke down. He cried like he never had before.

Izuna was dead.

 _Izuna was dead_  and he was never coming back.

His brother was dead.

He failed.  _He failed._

* * *

It took another month before they thought to check the house that Sakura and Itachi lived in.

During that time, Madara had left the hospital, and gone to see the grave of his brother.

The Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi had settled in Konoha.

Mito and Hashirama had married in a ceremony that Madara had been forced to attend at the threat of Hashirama tying him to his chair with his wood jutsu.

Tobirama had enlisted Mito to help with seals to cover Sakura's room in so her body wouldn't deteriorate while she was in a coma. It didn't look like she was going to wake up any time soon.

Hashirama had sent Tobirama and Madara to the house in the woods when Madara recalled that Sakura had been writing something before the battles began, something she said he hoped he'd never read. They all took that to mean it was something that they would only see if both she and Itachi died.

Madara opened the door and there, on the table in the living room, covered in a thin layer of dust, was a pile of scrolls. He and Tobirama unrolled one each and Tobirama laughed.

"They left us a village," he said.

Madara saw that he was right.

History. Infrastructure. How the village had been in their time. Plans. Ideas. Things that could be different now. But that wasn't the only thing they left. Not the only thing she left.

There was one single scroll different from the rest of them. Smaller, and tagged with his name.

_For Madara._

A message from Sakura. He hated the way his heart jumped at that, at how he was secretly relieved that Itachi was gone.

He didn't read it. He couldn't, not yet, not in this house. He tucked it in his shirt and gathered the rest with Tobirama.

Madara closed the door to Sakura and Itachi's house, feeling like he just closed the door on something much greater.


	27. Epilogue: One Year Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please check the bottom of the page for longer notes about:
> 
> \- Izuna, Itachi, ItaSaku, MadaSaku, and the sequel.
> 
> \- also, the next chapter is a GIFT because I was depressed about Itachi dying, and NOT Sacrifices Universe Canon - an alternate happy ending for ItaSaku.

 

**Epilogue: One Year Later**

* * *

Madara Uchiha sat in the office down the hall from the Hokage and sighed tiredly. He pushed the papers back from his desk and shook out his hair. It was clinging to the back of his neck in the muggy heat. The season was changing again, turning from spring to summer. Each day that passed was another day without Izuna, another reminder that he was gone and wasn't coming back. He clenched his fists, his hands began shaking.

Those treacherous hands. He could still feel the warm blood and soft sensation of his brother's eyes as that creature forced him to tear them out and replace his own with them. His darkest days were only survived by sitting inside the hospital room that she lay in. Where he could look at her face, touch her soft skin, feel the slow and steady beat of her heart.

Sakura still hadn't woken up, a year later.

It had been a year since Tobirama and Mito sealed the room she was in, allowing her to heal without dying of dehydration or starvation. She'd been in a coma all that time. Mental and physical trauma. Chakra exhaustion. She was strong and she was tough, but the mind needed rest as much as the body, and Madara was afraid that her mind just wasn't going to recover, and the more days that past the stronger his fear grew.

He spoke to her sometimes, to help himself as much as it apparently was comforting to her. Not often, not a lot, but sometimes when he couldn't stand it anymore he told her about how much he hated himself for what happened to Izuna. He said things he never said to anyone, never dared to speak or hardly think. She always saved him, even when she wasn't awake. A month after he'd woken up, he and Tobirama had gone to their house and found a stack of scrolls which detailed the time and village they'd come from in the future. They even wrote about how the two of them had met each of them in the war they'd been in, as strange as that was.

Those were the stories that hurt Madara, knowing what he'd done to them, to her. Sakura had faced him in a war and he had almost killed her. He didn't care about anything else when he read that. Everything made sense to him: how she'd acted when he first saw her, the nervous fear, the slow acceptance, the way she tried to always tell him he wasn't a monster. She'd seen it in person, she'd seen who he was when he walked that road, she'd seen his terrible potential.

But there was one scroll addressed to him from her and he kept it close, always.

It had taken another three months after he'd found it before he could open it. He was in her hospital room, on a night when he'd been struggling to sleep because of the nightmares that plagued him about what he'd done to Izuna.

He'd gone to see her instead, and finally worked up the courage to open the scroll.

_Madara,_

_I hope you never have to read this because that would mean I'm dead and I'd prefer it if that didn't happen._

_We're about to go and rescue you from Zetsu, I just hope that nothing goes wrong. But since something obviously has, there are things I want you to know and remember. I don't believe you've become like the Madara from my time, but just in case: you moron! You didn't believe me? You didn't listen to what I said at all? There is always another way. It's harder, it takes longer, but it's better because you deserve to walk in the light with a free heart and mind. Free of burdens and grief and sorrow and pain. So get yourself together and go home! You have people waiting for you. You are not alone._

_That's probably a good thing to remember anyway, so keep that in mind: you're not alone, you're loved, and good._

_You're so good, Madara. If you've read the other scrolls, you'll know that when we met in my time, you were not the same man you are now. I don't even recognise that person as you. I won't lie, it took a while for me to be able to adjust to this. You could probably tell. Sorry about that._

_Since I'm gone, I can't tell you this anymore, so I want you to keep this scroll and read it when you feel lost or unsure: I, Sakura Haruno, am proud of you, and you, Madara Uchiha, are worthy of all the good and great in this world. Never let that voice of doubt and darkness distract you from your path._

_I will always be watching over you._

_Sakura_

It was impossible for Madara to forget or get over his feelings for her, especially after reading that. They'd only deepened in the year she'd been asleep. He'd never known a feeling like this. Something so strong and so deeply rooted. Madara knew that he would never love another woman. He would never marry if it wasn't to her, and recognising that resolve in himself, he was content.

Madara looked up when the door to his office burst open, revealing a harried and excited looking Hokage.

"What did I tell you about knocking?" Madara muttered.

Hashirama shook his head with strange and excited energy.

"What are you doing here?" He exclaimed. "Didn't you hear?"

Madara frowned.

"Hear what?"

"Sakura. She's awake," he said.

Madara immediately stood, his chair fell back on the ground in a loud thump. His heart thumped in his chest.

She was awake. Finally. She was awake.

* * *

**To Sacrifice and Surrender**

_It's been a year since Sakura and Itachi sealed away Zetsu._

_It's been a year since Itachi sacrificed himself to save Sakura._

_It's been a year since Izuna was killed._

_Sakura's been in a coma since then, but now she's awake._

_It's been a year for everyone else._ _But for her, it's only been hours._

_She's awake, and stuck in the past alone, without the man she fell in love with. Without anything holding her to the ground anymore._

_Things have changed in Konoha, and whether she's ready or not, Sakura has a new life waiting for her and she better find a way to live it or lose herself altogether._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I want to let you guys know that it made me as depressed as all of you to write/read Izuna's story. I loved him as a character. He was, unfortunately, always going to die in my story. So when Asami Senju came into the story (she wasn't originally in it, she just appeared one day), I about broke my own heart. Their little love story was so cute to me, and she helped him heal, little by little. If he didn't die, I imagined that eventually they'd get married and have the little kid - a daughter for Izuna, who he could dote on and love.
> 
> \- Itachi. Oh, Itachi. I was very conflicted about writing any romance at all in this story. To be honest, I actually didn't have most of the story planned at all. I just got on my computer and wrote it, letting the story flow itself. So Itachi and Sakura falling in love just happened. I think their story is really sweet. They started off as friends, obviously, since Sakura was so young when they met. They had a solid foundation of friendship, trust, respect, and admiration before it turned into love. In my mind, they would have been together even if they didn't come to the past, but it would've taken longer for them to realise their feelings. Coming to the past just put their love story in fast-forward.
> 
> \- Itachi's death didn't come to me until about halfway through the story, and it came before I'd thought about writing a sequel. I just woke up one day and wrote the scene of his death. Originally, it was going to be that both of them died and were sent back into the future. But the more of the story I wrote, the more I realised that them going back into the future wasn't right. Also, I knew that I had another story in my head for Sakura in this world, and I didn't for Itachi. For all the ItaSaku shippers who followed, I'm so sorry there was such a tragic ending to their love story.
> 
> \- Itachi and Kakashi are my favourite characters from Naruto, so writing him dying actually made me come close to tears. I loved Sakura and Itachi together in this story. I love Itachi in general. I'm so sorry for the way that it all worked out with him and them, but even authors can't always decide on the progression of the story. Sometimes you just have to go where the narrative takes you, and that's what I did.
> 
> To respond to some of the MadaSaku concerns/questions/accusations:
> 
> - no, Itachi did not die just because I wanted to write a MadaSaku story. His death felt authentic to the story. I'd never kill off a character for that reason.
> 
> - Sacrifice and Surrender will mostly focus on Madara and Sakura. The sequel is more romance-based than this story was, however, it's going to deal with a lot of the aftermath of the deaths of Itachi and Izuna, as well as the village in general. It's not just going to be all.. "oh, Itachi's dead so I can have Madara now.../ ooo, Itachi's dead, so Sakura's all mine now..." are you freaking kidding me? Omg. As if I could write something like that.


	28. - Alternate Ending -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sacrifices for Peace
> 
>  
> 
> A gift for the ItaSaku shippers who suffered, and for me, because I wanted to write it.
> 
> ** This is NOT CANON for the Sacrifices Universe **

 

_**The End and the Beginning** _

* * *

Sakura used her strength to pick up Madara. She needed to get him somewhere a little safer. But as if sensing her, she saw the Nine-Tails turn his attention to her. Everything happened quickly then. She saw a giant, clawed paw come for her. She saw Hashirama's wooden round-giant summon grab the Nine-Tails, but the claw didn't stop. She wasn't going to get away from it, she threw Madara as hard as she could away from her.

It was as if everything happened in slow motion in the next second.

Itachi flickered in front of her, appearing suddenly, just as Tobirama appeared behind her. She caught Itachi's eye, and he seemed relieved to see the Senju. She was transported away, reaching out for him and she felt a slight pinch on her stomach.

And then he was gone with the swipe of the Nine-Tails paw.

Sakura looked at the empty space Itachi was and didn't understand.

"Itachi?" She breathed, uncaring about anything else in that moment. "ITACHI?!" She screamed.

 _No, no, no, no, no_.

"ITACHI! ITACHI! ITACHI!"

She struggled against Tobirama who was holding her and saying something unintelligible to her. She had to find him. Where was he? Where was Itachi? She grabbed Tobirama's arm and pushed him away from her with force, taking off in a sprint into the forest. There was nothing else in her head now except Itachi. She didn't understand what just happened. She burst through the trees, searching for him in the direction she was sure he had to have gone until she found him.

Itachi had landed on his back and Sakura saw his body and the blood drained from her face.

"Itachi!" She cried.

She rushed over to him, her mind empty and panicked and she gripped hand tightly, skidding over next to him on her knees. Tears fell from Sakura's eyes as she looked at his prone, broken body. He opened his eyes and gazed up at her, a softness in his look and an upturn in his lips. She wanted to slap him - how could he look so peaceful when he was clearly dying?

"Don't cry, Sakura."

Itachi coughed and blood spluttered from his mouth. Flecks of red landed on her tear-streaked face, but she didn't move.

"You can't leave me, Itachi," she sobbed.

Her hands flickered green, but it was weak as she held it over his body. It did nothing. If only she hadn't used so much chakra before on that punch and for Madara. She wasn't going to give up. She released her seal again, but winced at it, focusing hard on channeling her chakra into him.

"Sakura, it's not…going to…work," Itachi said.

She shook her head.

"No, it will." She sniffed, scrunching her eyes shut and gasping. "Itachi,  _please."_

He reached a hand to her face and weakly tapped her forehead with his two fingers. She sobbed under his touch, feeling more fractured than she'd ever felt before. Her seal broke and rushed back. She was spent. Adrenaline pulsed through her and she knew it was the only thing keeping her upright at this moment. Black spots crossed her vision.

"Sakura, look at me," he coughed. She did, through tear-filled eyes. "I love you," he breathed through ragged breaths.

"I love you too," she sobbed. "I can't - you can't, Itachi, please don't…why did you do that?"

He almost laughed, but it was more of a cough than anything else.

"It was my…t-turn to save y-you."

"You idiot," she sniffed.

Sakura let out a sob and bent her head to his. Their lips touched. It was a wet and sticky kiss, filled with blood and tears. She pulled her head back and looked at the man she had fallen in love with, the one who'd always been there for her, who was dying in front of her and she couldn't save him as he'd saved her.

"I love you so much, Itachi," she whimpered.

"We saved… their future…" Itachi wheezed. "It's over."

Sakura nodded, crying.

"We did it. Zetsu's gone."

At her words, a look of peace crossed his face.

"Sakura," he breathed her name, and his voice spluttered into quiet.

His breathing stopped after a final heave of his lungs and Sakura stared at him. Her soul felt like it was being torn apart.

"Itachi," she whispered.

She laid her head on his chest, barely noticing the absence of a heartbeat. Her hand went to her stomach, and she pulled it away, seeing wet blood. She was hurt, she realised. She guessed the Nine-Tails didn't miss her after all. She closed her eyes and let her exhaustion and the pain of her wounds take her over. Together, they did it, and now they could die together too. She didn't want to be here without Itachi.

Sakura heard faint voices in the distance, but she could no longer answer them. In the coming light of dawn, Sakura closed her eyes for the last time, and the last thing she saw was the smiling faces of the ones she loved the most…

Itachi, Naruto, Kakashi, Sasuke.

Madara, Hashirama, Tobirama, Izuna.

Her boys.

* * *

Itachi watched Sakura with pride as she decimated the battlefield below him with a single fist. She was glorious in battle, and her determination was second to none. She would never let someone harm her loved ones, and he knew in his heart that Zetsu wasn't going to stand a chance against her. He was already agitated by her words and had become reckless from Tenji's interference and Madara's clear change of heart.

Everything was going according to plan.

He just needed to wait for the right moment. It was hard to do with the Nine-Tails. He'd calculated for the appearance of it, but he remembered the devastation it had caused when he was a child, and he had seen how powerful it was when tamed by a jinchuuriki. He kept careful watch over the situation, all the while keeping an eye on his chakra levels. The Susanoo used an enormous amount of it.

He watched as Sakura screamed at Zetsu, provoking him into leaving Madara, and then he materialised the Totsuka sword and Yuta Mirror of his Susanoo. The weapons of his Susanoo were the endgame. If Indra and Asura hadn't believed that the two of them were capable of sealing away Zetsu without their assistance, the Otsutsuki brothers would never have let them leave that chakra plane without telling them what they needed to do. So Itachi had assumed they already had the necessary tools to seal him away.

He saw Zetsu take Sakura by the throat and Itachi sprang into action. With Zetsu distracted and enraged, it was easy for him to make his move unnoticed. His sword only had to touch its victim for it to work, but he wanted to make Zetsu hurt.

Panic surged through him when he saw that Sakura's eyes were wide and afraid. She couldn't get rid of Zetsu.

"SAKURA!"

He'd never felt his heart stop like that before.

But he saw Tobirama flash behind her and rip her away from Zetsu, who disappeared into the sake jar and he sheathed the sword, locking Zetsu away forever. He let out a breath of relief, Zetsu was gone. It was over, and Sakura was safe. Relief and tiredness flooded his system until he heard the roar of the Nine-Tails. Now that Sakura was safe, he could turn to the new threat. One that he knew Hashirama could deal with, especially since he had gone into his impressive Sage Mode, but that he also could help. Side by side he fought with Hashirama, beating back blow after blow from the Nine-Tails.

Another tailed-beast bomb formed, and before anyone could react, Tobirama had flashed it away again.

Itachi watched as the Nine-Tails eye shifted and its attention caught something else. Something that made Itachi's heart stop. He saw it happen with his Sharingan. The giant front leg of the Nine-Tails moved up and then came crashing down. All Itachi's instincts screamed at him to protect her. His Susanoo vanished as he flickered in front of her, ready to do whatever it took to get her away. Her eyes widened with shock and fear, her hand reached out to him. Tobirama flashed behind her and he felt that same relief before he felt everything and nothing all at once.

Pain, _so much pain._

He felt the claw of the Nine-Tails slice him open, he was almost surprised that he remained in one piece as he flew through the forest, hit a rock and rolled onto the ground, landing face up.

He lay there, feeling strange and light, but also so deeply rooted to the ground. Detached. That was it, otherwise, he was sure he'd be screaming. He shakily managed to lift his hand from his stomach and look at it. He smiled faintly. That was a lot of blood.

He let his hand drop and coughed as blood spluttered from his mouth. Dying made it hard to breathe.

It was almost funny to him that in the second he'd decided to act on emotion and instinct alone, he'd made a fatal mistake. It would've been far easier to avoid this situation if he'd simply stopped the claw with his Susanoo. He supposed it would be amusing to Shisui to know that the cool, intellectual genius, Itachi Uchiha, died because of human emotion. He just wanted to protect her, Sakura, the woman he loved.

The world seemed to be getting darker, even though it was barely midday. He blinked. He just wanted to see her one last time. His Sakura.

He heard her scream his name. She came, she was there, she was alive. There was so much he wanted to thank her for, to tell her. But a feeling of peace was settling over him as he looked at her face and heard her tell him she loved him. He loved her too.

Their love wasn't a firework. It didn't come suddenly like a raging fire. No, their love was slow and building. It was smoldering passion and colour and warmth. It was the kind of love that Itachi had only heard about. He didn't really think it existed, but he was glad it did, and he was glad he felt it with her.

One last kiss. One last look at her pink hair, her green eyes, her beautiful, so, so beautiful face.

Itachi drifted into death at peace.

* * *

Tobirama found being a sensor a gift and a curse.

Today, it had been a curse.

He'd felt the life of Izuna Uchiha flicker out, and now he felt the life of Itachi Uchiha be cut off as well. Sakura's chakra was so low it was flickering between life and death. He cursed. Madara had just enough chakra thanks to Sakura that he was just out of danger of dying.

He watched with some awe as his brother fought the Nine-Tails. No one else in the world could hold their own against this tailed-beast. It was easy to forget, with all his ridiculous personality quirks, that his brother was the most powerful shinobi in the world. But he thought that Itachi might have rivaled him, even more than Madara. Not that he'd be able to find out since Itachi had just died. Tobirama was bitter, and he made a quick choice. Hashirama would be fine. His chakra was barely half-way spent. He flashed to Madara, placed a hand on him, then transported them both to the seal that he'd placed on Sakura.

He closed his eyes with sorrow at what he saw.

Itachi was sliced open by the claw of the Nine-Tails and blood poured out of him. His eyes were closed, and his face looked oddly at peace. Sakura was gripping his hand, her head lay on his chest, her hair wet with blood, her lips smeared with it.

Her chakra flickered out. He rushed to her in a panic and flipped her. Her stomach was also sliced open. He hadn't moved her fast enough away from the Nine-Tails. He cursed.

"Come on, Sakura," he breathed, pumping his own chakra into her, trying to kick-start her system again. "Please, live, come on, live."

He tried to revive her for five minutes before he finally gave up. His hands were wet with blood, his eyes wet with unshed tears. He looked at Sakura and Itachi and shouted aloud his frustrations and anger at the unfairness of their deaths. They died together, holding hands. It was tragic and beautiful and terrible.

He sat back on his heels and stared up at the annoying blue and cheerful sky. The sounds of Hashirama's battle faded away. He just sat there, beside their bodies. Numb.

Hashirama came minutes later. He stood behind Tobirama and put a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"How?" He asked quietly.

Tobirama's voice was thick with emotion.

"Sakura spent all her chakra saving Madara, and Itachi protected Sakura from the Nine-Tails," Tobirama answered.

Hashirama knelt beside him.

"This isn't right," he whispered. "They weren't supposed to die."

"No, they weren't." Tobirama swallowed. "They saved us, they did what they were sent here to do."

"They lived as heroes, and they died as heroes. True shinobi of Konoha," Hashirama said. "And we're going to honour them as such."

* * *

Madara Uchiha spent six days in a state of chakra exhaustion. During that time, Yuri Uchiha was looked to as the leader of the clan. He refused to make any decisions about a funeral for Izuna and Itachi until Madara woke up.

On the sixth day, Hashirama was sitting in Madara's room, just staring at his friend and questioning how he was going to tell him the truth. He was standing beside him in a flash when he saw Madara's eyes blink. Madara looked unfocused at the roof for a few moments before Hashirama saw him look directly at him. Madara took a deep breath and turned away.

"Why couldn't you just let me die," he murmured.

Hashirama looked at him. "Would you have let me die?" He asked, equally quiet.

Madara didn't reply.

"I'm not going to lie to you, but this is going to be hard to hear, Madara," Hashirama said. "Your clan is trying to organise the funeral ceremonies, but Yuri is waiting for you to wake up."

Madara clenched his jaw, swallowed and then frowned.

"Ceremonies?" He questioned slowly.

His eyes rested on Hashirama and it took everything in him not to show pity towards the Uchiha.

"Ceremonies?" He demanded. "Hashirama. Where. Is. She?"

There was a slight panic in his voice.  _'She'_  could only refer to one person.

"During the attack," Hashirama said slowly, "Sakura and Itachi managed to seal away Zetsu using a sword of sealing that Itachi's Susanoo carried. But Sakura's chakra was drained by Zetsu before that. The Nine-Tails attacked when your control over it broke, and when she found you, Sakura spent a lot of chakra bringing you back from the brink of death."

He swallowed, repeating what Tobirama had told him.

"She was trying to get you away, but the Nine-Tails attacked her. Itachi took the blow for her. He died. She couldn't revive him." He let the words sink in before he continued. "She didn't miss all the attack from the Nine-Tails. She was badly wounded and it seemed like she couldn't heal herself. She's dead, Madara. They both are."

There was a silence in the room between them. Madara turned to look at the ceiling again.

"Get out, Hashirama," Madara said quietly. "Get out."

Hashirama stood and looked at his friend, who had turned away. He didn't miss the tear that rolled down Madara's face. Hashirama left the room feeling weight on his shoulders like he never had before.

* * *

Hashirama and Tobirama had gone into the house of Itachi and Sakura and found a collection of scrolls that detailed the future that they'd come from. The village, the history of their time, the dangers that might come, the changes that could be made now for a better future. They also wrote about a memorial stone, where the names of the shinobi who died in battle were engraved and memorialized. A place where heroes of the village were honoured and remembered. It gave them an idea. The memorial stone would be created. But so would something else.

Hashirama used his wood style to create a private, sacred grove, where the deeds of Sakura and Itachi could be honoured. Madara, needing to work, to focus on something else, commissioned a statue of the two of them to be made.

It was named the Garden of Sacrifices and would be the final resting place for the two of them.

* * *

The bodies of Izuna, Itachi and Sakura were stored in a specially sealed room in the Hokage Tower, awaiting their funerals.

Their bodies had been washed. Their hair brushed. They rested on cool slabs of stone, naked under a white sheet that covered them from their shoulders to their toes. Only their faces were visible.

Izuna's empty eyes were wrapped in white cloth. Itachi's and Sakura's eyes were closed.

Matsuri chose to be one of the women who prepared them for the ceremony. Asami volunteered as well. Tearfully, the two women washed the bodies of their loved ones again and anointed them with oils that took away the smell of death. They dressed them in fine clothes. Izuna and Itachi, in traditional kimonos of the Uchiha clan. Sakura, in the beautiful kimono she wore to the festival dinner those weeks ago.

When they were dressed, Hashirama, Tobirama, and Madara came into the room, followed by three beautifully made coffins. They lifted the bodies into them, and Matsuri and Asami proceeded to arrange them inside, brushing out their hair, folding their hands together over their stomachs, and arranging flowers inside.

When they were ready, the small group of people gave their goodbyes.

Asami, who only knew Izuna, kissed his forehead and whispered how much she would have liked to have lived a long and happy life with him. Madara watched on with extreme guilt and nausea and possessiveness.

Matsuri kissed all of them on their cheeks, saying nothing but holding her hands together tightly to stop them from shaking too much.

Into their coffins, Tobirama and Hashirama gifted all of them with a newly minted Konoha headband. Wrapped around one hand and wrist, Hashirama gave them each a string of wooden beads, a traditional Senju funeral gift.

Madara gave Izuna a toy shinobi that he used to play with as a boy. To Itachi, he presented an Uchiha heirloom, a necklace of thick rope with a red painted eye with three tomoe, like the Sharingan. To Sakura, he had nothing. He didn't know what to give her. He stood over her body, and to the surprise of the others, except Hashirama, he leaned down and kissed her tenderly on her lips.

A final good-bye.

* * *

Rumours had spread far and wide about the events that happened outside of Konoha. The defeat of the Nine-Tails, and some other vague enemy that had summoned it. Rumours spread like wildfire about the heroics of Sakura and Itachi, strangers who had apparently been tracking down this enemy over the world, who had protected Konoha and become heroes who died saving the village.

The ceremony for the funerals of Izuna, Itachi, and Sakura was something that Hashirama was certain would never happen again.

Hashirama and Madara were dressed in funeral black. Their bodies were unadorned: no weapons, no headbands. Their faces were serious and sorrowful. Behind them followed Tobirama, who mirrored them, with Asami. Then Matsuri and Yuri. Followed by almost the entire village. They led the funeral procession through Konoha, from Hokage tower to the Naka Shrine, where the ceremony would be held for Izuna.

The Uchiha were there, the clan waited for them. The ceremony was short, and Hashirama knew that later in the day, the Uchiha would gather again privately for their own grieving, at sunset, as was their tradition. Izuna's casket was covered and lowered into the ground, guarded over by the elders, who had no wish to see two strangers buried.

The procession moved on to the grove, close to the house where Itachi and Sakura used to live. The statue wasn't completed, so it wasn't there, but two tombstones and two graves were dug.

They said good-bye to Sakura Haruno and Itachi Uchiha with tears and memories and hopes that one day they would be reborn into a better future than they had lived in before.

* * *

Itachi opened his eyes and blinked. He stood in a familiar space, a black expanse he'd been in before, with…

"Sakura."

He whipped his head around but he was alone and he felt his stomach drop. Memories flooded back to him. The fight with Zetsu and Madara and the Nine-Tails. The sealing of Zetsu, the wounds from the Nine-Tails. Sakura's tears. His death. He touched his abdomen and chest, where the fatal wounds had been inflicted and then saw his clothes.

He was wearing his Jonin vest again. Exactly what he was wearing in the war. Confusion flooded his mind, what was happening to him and why? Where was Sakura?

"Itachi?"

He felt a flood of emotion run through him at hearing her soft, questioning voice. He turned and saw her. Pink hair, bright green eyes, a confusion that mirrored his own. She was also dressed the same as she was when it all started.

With two quick steps, he reached her and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Sakura," he murmured her name into her hair.

A shock ran through him, he released her.

"I died. How are you here?"

He stared at her. She gave a rueful smile and touched his cheek.

"Me too. I'm sorry," she said quietly. "You saved me for a little while, but I wasn't okay. I was hurt and my chakra was gone, and…" she trailed off. "I didn't want to leave you."

Itachi felt his blood run cold.

"You died?"

She gave a small nod and shrug. He pulled her into another hug and felt her arms wrap around him.

"Sorry I couldn't protect you," he apologised.

"Don't be silly," Sakura said with a small laugh. "You did. We might have died, Itachi, but we still did it. We still saved them."

Itachi let her go. She was right.

"At least we're together," he said, a little shyly.

She smiled at him.

"But where are we?" She asked looking around.

A sudden burst of light from behind them drew their attention. Before them stood the glowing and smiling forms of the Sage of Six Paths and his sons. Sakura and Itachi glanced at one another. The last time they had come face to face with the brothers, it had ended in harsh words. It was a long time ago, and many things had happened, but the resentment still hadn't left Itachi for what they had done.

Indra stepped forwards, put a hand on his heart and bent forwards at the waist in a small bow.

"You have my deepest gratitude," he said seriously, taking Itachi and Sakura by surprise.

"And mine," Asura cut in with a smile.

Itachi looked at their father.

"When you realised what your sons were doing, you did nothing to stop them. Cruel, you called it."

The Sage of Six Paths looked at him pensively.

"To pull someone from everything they know and love into a battle they have nothing to do with, it is cruel," The Sage said. "Yet I did not stop it."

"Why?" Sakura asked, her voice cracking. "We were finally going to be a family again. It was over."

"Because the possibility of stopping the rebirth of my mother was too great an opportunity to pass by," he replied.

Sakura and Itachi couldn't respond. Itachi understood exactly the choice that had been made, and he was sure, if their positions had been reversed, he would have done the same. Kaguya was too powerful, and the greatest catalyst for her return was Madara Uchiha.

"There are no words we can say to show the depth of our regret that this was forced upon you," Indra said.

"But we're pretty good with actions," Asura winked.

Itachi and Sakura frowned. Both the brothers stepped forward and put one hand on each of their shoulders. Itachi tried to move away, but Indra held him firmly in place. His eyes seemed to tell Itachi to remain calm, and Itachi tried. He gripped Sakura's hand.

"What are you going to do to us now?" Sakura asked, her voice wavering.

Asura smiled down kindly at her.

"The future you helped to shape isn't exactly what you remember. But it's one worth seeing."

"Please," Indra said solemnly. "Understand that although many things changed, there are also things that simply are meant to happen. We are sorry."

Sakura's eyes widened and she looked up at Itachi, who was staring wide-eyed at them, he turned to her and smiled. The Sage of Six Paths came towards them and place a hand on each other the shoulders of his sons. They stood in a circle, each connected to one another.

"Be at peace," the Sage of Six Paths said to them kindly.

Itachi and Sakura felt a surge of power surround them, and felt lifted in a great light.

The last thing they saw was the smiling faces of Asura and Indra.

* * *

"Sakura! Hey, Sakura!"

Sakura grimaced and closed her eyes tightly. Her head was spinning. She groaned and put her hand to her headed.

She heard a sigh of relief from above her.

"Are you okay, Sakura?"

She recognised that voice. She blinked, squinting in the sudden onslaught of sunlight, and saw the concerned faces of Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi above her.

"Fine," Sakura grunted in response.

Her lips and mouth were dry. She felt arms around her shoulders and realised she was being lifted into a sitting position by Kakashi. He held out a water bottle to her.

"Here," he said.

She took it gratefully and drank some. The water was refreshing and cool, it made her feel better immediately, apart from the dull ache in her brain and the feeling that she was missing something.

"What happened, Sakura? You just collapsed," Kakashi asked her, concerned.

"I don't know," she murmured. "I don't remember."

She looked at Sasuke and Naruto. There was something about the two of them…Something important she needed to remember. Her eyes widened when she looked at Sasuke.

"Sasuke, you're back?" She asked, looking around. "We're in the village? What about the war? What happened?"

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked, frowning. "I've been here the whole time."

"What war are you talking about?" Naruto asked her, clearly confused. "We won the Tailed-Beast War last year?"

"Sakura, are you sure you're okay?"

Kakashi had real concern in his voice now, his one eye peering at her with more worry than she'd ever seen in him.

"I'm - "

Sakura closed her eyes, trying to remember everything. Her memories seemed to be jumbled, fading into one another but there was one face that she kept coming back to, and then, suddenly, everything became clear to her.

"I'm fine," she said, opening her eyes and smiling at her teammates. "I remember everything."

She remembered defeating Kaguya and then being thrust into the past. She remembered Madara and Hashirama and Izuna and Tobirama. She remembered Asura and Indra, the Sage of Six Paths. She remembered Itachi, their hands touching, the intense look in his eyes, the taste of his lips on hers, their soft, quiet moments together. She remembered the day they died, battling Zetsu and sealing him away forever, saving Madara. She remembered being sent to this new future.

But she also remembered a lifetime here, one that was different from before, but also in many ways the same.

She felt the depth of her feelings for Itachi, her old soul in her new body. She could see memories of how they caught eyes and averted them. How in this life, she was too shy to ever approach him. She wanted to slap herself for that.

Sakura stood, aided by Kakashi. She looked at them, not caring that they were all sharing the same concerned look on their face, wondering if she was crazy. With a burst of joyful laughter, she pulled them all into a hug, surprising them.

"I remember everything," she said again.

Sasuke pushed himself out of her hug, his face reddening with embarrassment.

"You said that. But what does that mean?"

Sakura let go of Kakashi and Naruto. Her cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling, and her eyes started to tear up. This was not the life she had lived, that was gone. But this was the life she had, and from what she could see, it was pretty good.

* * *

Itachi dropped the bag of groceries he was holding, surprising his mother and Shisui.

"Sakura," he breathed.

They were here, in the future. A different one, but from the influx of memories of the life he'd had here, Itachi knew it was better.

"Sakura?" Mikoto frowned.

"Sasuke's teammate?" Shisui asked him, concern in his voice.

"I'm sorry," Itachi turned to his family. He gave a shake of his head. "I'm sorry, I have to go."

"Wait, Itachi - "

But Itachi was gone. He sought her out and found her in the midst of a joyful hug with her teammates. He flickered to them. Standing behind them, looking at the tearful happiness on her face. They all felt his sudden presence. Sakura let her team go, and stared at him.

He stared at her back, ignoring everyone else.

"Itachi? What are you doing here?" Sasuke confused voice asked.

But all Itachi saw was Sakura.

"Itachi."

She smiled at him, so softly, so kindly, so beautifully. She stood and walked over to him.

"Sakura?" Sasuke asked. "What are you doing?"

"What the hell is going on?" Naruto frowned.

Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Maybe the kids should turn around," he murmured.

 _Of course_ , Itachi thought faintly,  _Kakashi was quick on the uptake._

"You remember?" Sakura asked him as she stood before him.

"I remember," he replied quietly, dipping his head to hers and kissing her.

There was a far bigger reaction than Itachi had expected. Sasuke was more vocal than he'd ever heard him before, Naruto practically ripped Sakura away from him. Kakashi just sighed and attempted to remind Naruto that Sakura had that look in her eye that meant he was about to get beaten into the ground. All of it was amusing to Itachi, who felt such a bubbling of happiness that he couldn't help but ruffle his brother's hair and laugh.

Which made everyone stop and stare at him like he was insane. Itachi rarely laughed aloud like that.

All the happiness of the moment was cut short when an ANBU appeared and escorted both him and Sakura to the Hokage.

* * *

Itachi and Sakura stood nervously before the Fourth Hokage, uncertain of the reason why they'd been summoned. But it was too much of a coincidence for them to have been summoned so soon after they were sent back.

The fact that the Fourth Hokage wasn't dead was one of the best things that Sakura had remembered, and Itachi was grateful for.

Minato Namikaze looked them both carefully and calculatingly.

He then turned to the ANBU in the room.

"Make certain that the rest of team 7 remains outside this office at all costs. Do whatever is necessary to prevent their interruption until I give permission for them to enter."

The ANBU vanished with a pop and burst of smoke. Itachi closed the door behind him. Sakura held back a giggle, despite the tenseness in the room. Her team had protested the second the ANBU had appeared, attempting to pry information out of the silent guard.

Minato's lips quirked at her but his eyes remained serious.

"Can I inquire as to why we are here?" Itachi asked him.

Minato sat back on his seat.

"There are many things that happen in and around the village that are only known to those with the highest level of security clearance. However," he eyed them both, "there are certain things that only a Hokage knows."

Sakura and Itachi both frowned.

"I'm sorry, Lord Fourth. I don't understand," Sakura said.

Minato lowered his hands to his desk.

"When I was chosen to be the Fourth Hokage, Lord Third led to a place I had never known existed before, and I will not reveal more about it now. However, in that place were a collection of scrolls, sealed in such a way that they were only able to be opened by a Hokage."

"What does that have to do with why you summoned us? We're not Hokage," Itachi said.

"No. However. There was something else. A scroll that described some kind of stone that was apparently created by Tobirama Senju." Minato pointed to a small stone that had always sat on the desk of the Hokage - in this lifetime. "The scroll said that it would flash when something happened, something…remarkable."

Sakura swallowed.

"And what was this remarkable thing?" She asked.

"That has to do with the other scrolls. They were written by the First and Second Hokage and Madara Uchiha."

Minato paused and looked at Itachi and Sakura with a faint smile.

"Within them described the arrival and deeds of two strangers from the future, who died to save the world, and whose names were Itachi Uchiha and Sakura Haruno."

Itachi and Sakura both froze. All the air felt like it had been pushed out of their lungs.

"The scroll of the First Hokage goes on a rather long rant about how the two were sent back in time to save Madara Uchiha and the world from a creature called Zetsu. His language is quite descriptive, it makes for a long read," Minato chuckled. "The Second Hokage wrote his account much more to the point. He stated that the pair did their best to have as little interaction as possible with anyone, as to keep the future from being too changed. He hailed them as heroes, who sacrificed their lives and futures for the Hidden Leaf, and if chance would permit it, they were born to future generations, they should be given the highest honours and treated with the greatest respect."

Itachi was stunned. Not only that there was a scroll detailing exactly what he had said, but that Tobirama had been so complimentary towards himself and Sakura. Sakura just stared in disbelief at the Hokage.

"The third scroll was written by Madara Uchiha, who stated that the other two spoke the truth. He described a hidden grove where the bodies of the two were buried and where a statue to honour the heroes stood," Minato said. "And he would be leaving hidden records within the Uchiha temple at the Naka Shrine."

"That's - "

Sakura didn't know what to say.

Minato held up his hand.

"I have seen the statue, though the garden is long since abandoned and wild, and most people don't know it exists. The resemblance is uncanny, I have to admit, even down to the seal on Sakura's forehead."

The Hokage looked at them both with some amusement behind his usual serious expression, and the pair just stared back.

"I - "

Itachi couldn't find the words to express himself. His mouth opened and closed, set in a confused line. Minato gave him a genuine smile, one that made the man look younger.

"I've been waiting for this day since I took office. The stone activated today, and I knew that it meant your spirits had returned to the future."

Itachi gave a slight, dazed nod.

"This is…we didn't know," he managed to say.

Minato stood and walked around from behind his desk. He put a hand on Itachi's and Sakura's shoulders. It was warm, steady, comforting and Itachi felt a sense of relief run through him. The Hokage knew. He knew about them both, thanks to Hashirama and Madara.

Sakura finally blinked and let out an irritated sigh.

"Those idiots," she muttered. "They weren't supposed to do anything like that if we died. I bet they just ignored all the warnings we left them."

Itachi glanced at her and let out a chuckle of disbelief. Minato also laughed, and Itachi stared at the Fourth, sifting through the memories he had of him in this lifetime.

Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, who destroyed Danzo Shimura for treason and for his disgraceful acts of theft and murder against the Uchiha. Who protected and defended his clan when suspicion was raised against them in the early days of the Tailed-Beast War. Who believed in all of his people, and was everything Itachi had ever wanted to be, in both his lives.

There were some things, Itachi thought with some anger and disgust, that hadn't changed, despite the fact that the history of Konoha now reflected the alliance and life-long friendship of Hashirama and Madara. The Shimura was always against his clan, and even his warnings hadn't done as much as he wanted them too.

The Fourth suddenly blinked.

"Oh, there was something else," Minato said, with a glint in his eye. Itachi felt some trepidation at the look in his eye. "In his extremely detailed and descriptive account, the First also spoke at length of the… beautiful relationship that blossomed between you and Sakura," the Hokage said with a slow-growing grin.

Sakura's cheeks burned.

Itachi felt his eyes widen.

"Of course he would write about something unnecessary like that," Itachi muttered under his breath.

Considering how deeply he felt for Sakura, as soon as he had realised that the him from this lifetime had done nothing to pursue her, he'd wanted to hit himself over the head. In his memories of her, Itachi had done little more than stare at a distance. Grief for Izumi was often the reason he gave himself for not approaching anyone. Even in this life, Izumi had died. Of course, before the war, Sakura had been too young for him to even consider approaching, just like before. But it had been almost a year since then, she was close to 18, and the him of this time hadn't missed the glances and the blushes and the eye-contact she'd been giving him.

Minato laughed, breaking them out of their embarrassed silence.

"Can we see the grove?" Sakura asked quietly.

Minato nodded.

"The Garden of Sacrifices," Minato said with a sad inflection. "I'll show you the way."

Thankfully, the Fourth commanded Team 7 to follow quietly, so Sakura's teammates stopped bombarding her with questions the second they walked out of the office. Sasuke was giving both her and Itachi looks of mixed horror and confusion.

During the walk, Itachi took Sakura's hand, ignoring the sounds of choking coming from Sasuke and Naruto behind them.

"This is near the house," Sakura observed, remembering the road they walked on.

"I wonder if it's still there," Itachi murmured.

Finally, Naruto had enough.

"What's going on, dad?" Naruto whined. "I'm so confused."

Sakura felt her heart leap into her throat when she heard Naruto call him dad. Tears of happiness pricked at her eyes, and Itachi squeezed her hand.

"We're almost there," Minato replied.

"I'm also confused," Kakashi said.

"Too bad," Minato replied. "We're almost there."

Sakura smiled, turned and poked her tongue out at Naruto and Kakashi, the latter of whom looked mock affronted. Minato pushed back some overgrown branched and the grove appeared behind them. It was overgrown and wild but Sakura's breath caught at it.

In the center, was a statue of her and Itachi, standing side by side, smiling. Relaxed. Like they were just coming home. It was beautiful. Two tombstones lay at its base, side by side.

"What is this?" Sasuke asked, taking it all in quickly.

Kakashi looked between the two of them and the tombs and the statue with a quirk of his eyebrow. Sakura and Itachi approached carefully.

"They shouldn't have done this for us," Sakura breathed.

She bent and touched the stone on her grave.

"It's a bit strange standing here," Minato said. "You're both alive, and yet dead all at once."

"That's it."

Sasuke lost his temper. He glared at his brother.

"Explain now."

Itachi and Sakura looked at each other a little helplessly.

"Why does that statue look like you both?" Kakashi asked.

An easy question to answer.

"Because it is us," Sakura said softly. "And this is where Hashirama, Tobirama, and Madara buried us."

Sasuke looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel. Kakashi seemed like he was trying very hard not to sigh. Naruto looked at them and just looked at them.

"Team 7."

Minato's commanding voice snapped all of them to attention. Itachi and Sakura were both grateful that he had taken over. With some help from them both, Minato explained the situation to the pair of them in the same way that he'd explained to Sakura and Itachi.

It took days for Team 7 to accept the truth. Minato had to allow them into the secret room for the Hokage to read the scrolls left behind by the previous Hokage and Madara before they were convinced. After that, everything about Sakura and Itachi had become classified. Every record of them in the Uchiha library and shrine was removed, but Sakura discovered a single journal entry from Madara that broke her heart.

_I will never marry._ _I will never stop loving her._

_Sakura._

_The memory of her and Izuna are the only things that keep me sane. Trying to live for them, the way they wanted me too._

_I keep her scroll close to me always._ _A reminder to turn my back on doubt and darkness and focus on the village._

_Yet I love her, and my heart is forever broken by it._

She kept the journal, with the permission of Fugaku, who had also been briefed on the situation, though he had some knowledge of it from his clan's history already.

To reconnect, Sakura and Itachi spent time in the grove together, cleaning the statue and their tombstones, laughing at the absurdity of what they were doing.

They repaired the house they used to live in, and after a few days, Sakura's team decided to help them. They worked together, and eventually, Naruto asked for stories about the founders. Sakura regaled stories about their days in the past, while Itachi skipped out on work with Kakashi, and spoke about the differences between the history of the world they came from compared to what it was like now. Sasuke listened in and became quiet when he understood the difference in his own character.

* * *

Some weeks after the gossip had spread that Sakura and Itachi were dating, seemingly out of the blue, Sakura found Tsunade at the hospital. She was nervous. She'd been avoiding her, only communicating on work-related matters.

When Sakura knocked on her office door and Tsunade studied her face, the woman smiled at her in a way she'd never seen before. Soft, happy, relieved.

"It's why I took you on as an apprentice, you know," she said, pouring Sakura a cup sake. "Grandfather talked about you all the time. I was just waiting for you. It's what kept me in the village, the promise of you."

Sakura felt tears fill her eyes.

"I wanted to tell him all about you, and I wasn't sure what to do about the medical field," she admitted. "I couldn't just sit back and do nothing, but you… it was your achievement. It was what you were known for. I didn't want to risk it being taken away from you."

"Pah!" Tsunade waved her hand. "You're being silly. You know exactly what would've happened," she grinned. "You would've taken on me as an apprentice, and then I would've surpassed you!"

"And endless cycle," Sakura giggled.

* * *

One evening, Itachi arrived at one of the Team 7 training sessions. They were taking a water break and Sasuke frowned at him. He'd been doing that a lot since the truth had come out. Itachi gave his little brother a wry smile.

"Sakura and I are going to get married," he announced.

Sakura felt her cheeks flame red and she looked at him in shock.

"Married?" She said, staring at him.

"Married?"

Sasuke sounded like he had never heard the word before.

"This is the first time I'm hearing about it," Sakura said with a frown.

Itachi glanced at her, ignoring everyone else.

"We've already lived a lifetime with each other. Why not?" He asked, amusement in his voice.

Sakura grinned.

"Okay." She reached on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek. "But that was not a good enough proposal."

Naruto and Sasuke exploded. Kakashi gave them both a tired congratulations like the entire situation was too absurd to even fight or question. Sakura ended up beating both her teammates into the ground, and then giving Kakashi a hug that he was surprised about, but accepted with a soft pat on her shoulder.

* * *

Sakura and Itachi lay together on the hospital bed. Their second child, a little girl named Matsuri slept in Sakura's arms. Her big brother, Izara, now almost four, was curled on his father's lap, staring at his sister.

"You were named after three great people," Itachi whispered to him. "You remember who they are?"

Izara frowned.

"Izumi….Izuna….Madara?"

Itachi patted his head fondly.

"Well done," he said.

"Your little sister is named after a friend too," Sakura said to him. "One day, we'll tell you a story about them all, okay, Izara?"

Izara nodded.

He looked at his sister, who was pink and squishy. He poked her gently on the nose.

"I wanted a brother," he whispered. "But I'll love you lots too, Suri."

Itachi and Sakura smiled at each other. In this perfect little quiet moment, all the trouble and hardship of their lives before was worth it.


End file.
